The papers consist almost entirely of Mrs. Kabler's files on the Wisconsin Citizens for Family Planning. Included are organizational materials, a large reference file, and clippings concerning family planning and birth control in Wisconsin. Taken together, however, Kabler's files do not provide complete documentation of the organization's efforts. Information on the formation of the group is missing. In addition, because the documentation is concentrated on the years 1966-1972 there is little material on the eventual success of their lobbying.
ORGANIZATIONAL MATERIAL consists of by-laws, a few minutes, correspondence, publications and form letters, and membership and mailing lists. The correspondence is divided into letters sent or received by Kabler, letters sent or received by Marylu Raushenbush, and a file of correspondence concerning others.
The correspondence is concentrated about the years 1966-1972. It chiefly documents the various lobbying strategies attempted, the growing sophistication of WCFP's approach, their information gathering, the areas in which support was achieved, and the degree of their involvement with various Wisconsin churches. Correspondence with Wisconsin legislators is less comprehensive (perhaps because such contacts were largely made in person), although there are numerous letters to national legislators including Robert Kastenmeier and Gaylord Nelson. There are also scattered letters from Gene Boyer, Alan F. Guttmacher and Zero Population Growth leader Richard Lamm. There is also correspondence from the group to birth control advocate William Baird.
The file of minutes documents only a few organizational meetings. Interestingly, handwritten notes on the back of the by-laws relate to an early meeting with legislators at which Senator Fred A. Risser, who was a strong advocate of change in the statutes, stated mistakenly that he could not imagine who would oppose such a bill.
Although the majority of the individual items are undated, the file of distributions and form letters to members and legislators provides an extensive view of the group's ideas and strategies. Miscellaneous organizational materials include some financial reports, information on the WCFP booth at the 1967 state fair, and Kabler's interesting notes on the views of individual legislators in 1969. Also filed here is a copy of an undated survey of the legislature concerning views on various environmental matters including a question on birth control. The sponsor of this questionnaire is not indicated. In addition, several issues of a occasional newsletter of the WCFP (1970-1973) are held by the Society Library.
To inform their opinions and actions, Kabler accumulated a large library of REFERENCE MATERIAL and publications. This file has been substantially weeded and publications have been transferred to the Society Library, to other appropriate libraries at the University of Wisconsin, or to the donor. Much of the remaining material is undated and largely consists of near-print material issued by various governmental agencies. Topics treated include abortion, sex education, pregnancy, venereal disease, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (of which Kabler was a member), and various state committees set up to study family planning. Also included here are drafts and annotated copies of various birth control bills and statements, resolutions, and other materials relating to the history of these bills in the legislature. Particularly interesting is the file on the views of various Wisconsin clergymen on the birth control issue.
A CLIPPING file was also maintained by the WCFP for informational reasons. It has been weeded so that it focuses on Wisconsin attitudes and activities about birth control. The file chiefly covers the period 1968 to 1971.
