LWV History in Waukesha

The League of Women Voters has deep roots in Wisconsin — and in Waukesha County specifically — going back over a century of leading the fight for women's suffrage.

Illustrated graphic titled "Waukesha's Own! Theodora Winton Youmans," featuring a black-and-white portrait of Youmans in a decorative blue-and-gold frame

From Suffrage to the League

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin was formed in February 1920, when the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA) reorganized itself after Wisconsin became the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment. Jessie Jack Hooper of Oshkosh was elected the new League's first president and served two terms. Theodora Winton Youmans of Waukesha, longtime associate editor of the Waukesha Freeman and the last president of the WWSA (1913–1920), led the reorganization, served as the League's first vice president, and remained a leading voice in the movement.

A Local Chapter Takes Root

Waukesha County's connection to the League dates back to that beginning. Oconomowoc formed a League in 1920. A League was established at Carroll College during the 1926–27 academic year, and that League evolved through the mid-1930s to a Waukesha League that was active for decades alongside Oconomowoc's.

Building Toward Today

LWV of Waukesha County continues this century-plus-long tradition of nonpartisan civic engagement — registering voters, hosting candidate forums, empowering voters, and defending free and fair elections for every resident of Waukesha County.