ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, ND 58202
COLLECTION: OGL #1283
DATES: 1956-1989
SIZE: 4 linear feet
ACQUISITION: The Flickertail Girls State Records were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Dr.Ron Pynn, former chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of North Dakota, August 25, 1993 (Acc.# 94-1939).
ACCESS: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.
In 1947, Mrs. Myrtle Anderson, president of the American Legion Auxiliary (1946-1947), organized the first Flickertail Girls State session. The American Legion Auxiliary is the sponsor of this annual event. The first session was held at Jamestown College in June 1947, when 116 girls attended. It was held in Jamestown in 1948 and 1949 as well. Since 1950, it has been held in Grand Forks at the University of North Dakota and throughout the years attendence has risen to 700 or more girls.
The Flickertail Girls State program seeks to simulate real- life North Dakota politics at city, county, and state government levels. During Girls State, each governmental activity is preceded by a lecture given by the government staff, which consits of political science faculty at UND. The government staff establishes the government process after consultation with the American Legion Auxiliary. Counselors, who are political science students at UND, work closely with the girls to encourage and enhance their understanding of government functioning. After explaining how governmental units in North Dakota work, the goal is to allow the participants in Girls State to proceed to the appropriate level of govermental functioning and experience politics for themselves.
Flickertail Girls State Records consists of five series: Girls State History, Correspondence and Memorandum, General Papers, Manuals and Form Guides, and Miscellaneous. Each of these series have been arranged chronologically.
The Girls State History series includes lists of past American Legion Auxiliary presidents and their addresses, locations and names of American Legion Auxiliary units, past Girls State governors and directors, newspaper clippings, and a description of the government program and process of study at Flickertail Girls State.
The Correspondence and Memorandum series contains information from 1957 to 1977. Correspondence in preparation for the girls' stay on campus is between the Girls State director and Girls State government staff and counselors, dining service directors, student union director, housing director, and other University staff. This series consists of lists of attendees and their room and political party assignments, lists of counselors, daily schedules, issues of Flickertails newspaper, Girls State directories, Girls Nation reports, and some financial information as well. It should be noted that not all of this information can be found for each year.
The General Papers series dates from 1971 to 1989. It includes lists of attendees and their room assignments, lists of those who held specific positions and won special awards, lists of members of the legislature, lists of counselors and their instructions, the Federalist and Nationalist platforms, election results, Flickertails newspaper, certificates, and some memorandum and financial information. Not all of this information can be found for each year.
The Manuals and Form Guides series dates to 1956 through 1989. The Manuals contain correspondence to the Girls Stater from various officials, daily schedules, expectations of the girls, and patriotic songs. The Form Guides contain original (for photocopying) tests, quizzes, and voting ballots.
The Miscellaneous series contains information on Girls State in other states, Girls State Annuals for 1973 and 1976, Flickertails newspaper for 1990, and names of political science professors involved in Flickertail Girls State. It also contains newspaper clippings for 1986 and 1987 from various newspapers in the state about those who attended Girls State. These articles have been alphabetized within the folder according to the name of the town where the newspaper was published.
Folder 1. Girls State History-past Legion Auxiliary Department Presidents and addresses (1922-1985)
2. Girls State History-Girls State Governors (1947-1988)
3. Girls State History-Girls State directors (1947-1988)
4. Girls State History-location and unit name of American Legion Auxiliaries (JUN 1976)
5. Girls State History-newspaper clippings (1956, 1980, undated)
6. Girls State History-government program and process of study (FEB 1980)
7. Correspondence and Memorandum (1957-1958)
8. Correspondence and Memorandum (1959)
9. Correspondence and Memorandum (1960)
10. Correspondence and Memorandum (1961)
11. Correspondence and Memorandum (1962)
12. Correspondence and Memorandum (1963)
13. Correspondence and Memorandum (1964)
14. Correspondence and Memorandum (1965)
15. Correspondence and Memorandum (1966)
16. Correspondence and Memorandum (1967)
17. Correspondence and Memorandum (1968)
18. Correspondence and Memorandum (1969)
19. Correspondence and Memorandum (1970)
20. Correspondence and Memorandum (1971)
21. Correspondence and Memorandum (1972)
22. Correspondence and Memorandum (1973)
23. Correspondence and Memorandum (1974)
24. Correspondence and Memorandum (1975)
25. Correspondence and Memorandum (1976)
26. Correspondence and Memorandum (1977)
27. General Papers (1971)
28. General Papers (1972)
29. General Papers (1972)
30. General Papers (1973)
31. General Papers (1974)
32. General Papers (1974)
33. General Papers (1974)
34. General Papers (1974)
35. General Papers (1975)
36. General Papers (1975)
37. General Papers (1975)
38. General Papers (1975)
39. General Papers (1976)
40. General Papers (1977)
Folder 1. General Papers (1977)
2. General Papers (1978)
3. General Papers (1979)
4. General Papers (1979)
5. General Papers (1980)
6. General Papers (1980)
7. General Papers (1981)
8. General Papers (1981)
9. General Papers (1982)
10. General Papers (1982)
11. General Papers (1983)
12. General Papers (1983)
13. General Papers (1984)
14. General Papers (1984)
15. General Papers (1985)
16. General Papers (1985)
17. General Papers (1986)
18. General Papers (1986)
19. General Papers (1987)
20. General Papers (1987)
21. General Papers (1987)
22. General Papers (1988)
23. General Papers (1988)
Folder 1. General Papers (1988)
2. General Papers (1989)
3. General Papers (1989)
4. Manuals and Form Guides (1956)
5. Manuals and Form Guides (1959, 1962)
6. Manuals and Form Guides (1963, 1964)
7. Manuals and Form Guides (1965, 1966)
8. Manuals and Form Guides (1967, 1968)
9. Manuals and Form Guides (1969)
10. Manuals and Form Guides (1970)
11. Manuals and Form Guides (1971, 1972)
12. Manuals and Form Guides (1973, 1974)
13. Manuals and Form Guides (1975, 1976)
14. Manuals and Form Guides (1977)
15. Manuals and Form Guides (1978, 1979)
16. Manuals and Form Guides (1980, 1981)
17. Manuals and Form Guides (1982, 1984, 1985)
18. Manuals and Form Guides (1986, 1987, 1988)
Folder 1. Manuals and Form Guides (1989)
2. Miscellaneous
Girls State in other states
Virginia (1974) and Michigan (1975)
Boys State in Virginia (1975)
3. Miscellaneous-Flickertail Girls State Annuals (1973, 1976)
4. Miscellaneous-newspaper clippings (1986)
5. Miscellaneous-newspaper clippings (1987)
6. Miscellaneous-Flickertails newspaper (JUN 8, 1990)
7. Miscellaneous-stencils reading "35th ANNUAL SESSION ON THE CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA"
8. Miscellaneous-Names of political science professors involved in Flickertail Girls State
Two photographs have been separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photographic Collection.
OGL #1283-1 Flickertail Girls State graduation ceremony (ca. 1955)
OGL #1283-2 Theodore Pedeliski, professor of political science (ca. 1970)
| Original Donation | First Addition: 1947-1996 |
Return to: Women's Organizational Records
| Special Collections Home Page | Contact Special Collections | Chester Fritz Library Home Page |
|---|