Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 21/7/220
Sue Mullins
Papers, 1941-1997, undated


Descriptive summary

creator:

Mullins, Sue
title:

Papers
dates:

1941-1997, undated
extent:

2.94 linear ft. (6 document boxes, 2 half-document boxes)
collection number:

RS 21/7/220
repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

Sue Mullins Papers, RS 21/7/220, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Sue Mullins was a Republican representative of District 15 (Humboldt) in the state of Iowa from 1979-1989, serving five terms. Mullins was born in Denver, Colorado on June 18, 1936 to Laurence C. and Helen M. Blunt. She received her B. S. (1967) in home economics journalism and mass communications from Iowa State University.

Mullins was involved in numerous organizations and sat on many committees including the Dean's Advisory Committee for Iowa State's Colleges of Agriculture and Home Economics, State Planning Committee, State Advisory Council, Iowa Civil Liberties Union, and the Iowa Women's Political Caucus which she helped to form to ensure that women legislators received a support system from other representatives and public service officials.

Sue and her husband Jim were both farmers (Prairie Flat Farms in Corwith, Iowa) and she continued to have a deep interest in farming in Iowa even after being elected to the House of Representatives. She was a member of the Kossuth County Farm Bureau and pushed the Iowa Department of Agriculture for recognition of the work contributed to farming by women.

Mullins traveled abroad many times while in office. She was part of organizations such as the Stavropol Economic Development Project, Nizhny/Novgorod Exchange, and the Delegation of the National Council State Legislators Women's Network Korea Observation Tour. Sue and Jim Mullins also encourage their children, Mike, Dan, and Jennifer, to study and work abroad. Jennifer spent time in the Philippines, while Mike studied and lived in Norway for many years with his wife. Dan served as a page for the Republican party.

Mullins also became an advocate of women and children's rights during her time in office. She fought against opening state adoption records and pushed for more regulation on child-care providers and daycares, stating that in the state of Iowa "...we regulate bait, cattle-feed, and the use of pesticides...but have yet to regulate childcare." She spent a lot of time fighting for legislation that protected children and children's services and wanted child-care providers to obtain a license, and go through a more rigorous process before they could own and operate a day-care or similar institution. She received some opposition from other women Republicans and did not see this dream accomplished before she left office in 1989.

 

Collection description

This collection (1941-1997, undated) contains news clippings, reports, legislation, newsletters, promotional material, artifacts, certificates of election and professional correspondence. The bulk of the collection is related to the campaigns of Representative Sue Mullins, although some materials from her time as a Representative and family and personal documents are included. Also in this collection are several artifacts from Mullins' campaigns for re-election, which include posters, sashes, buttons, plaques, and bags.

While the majority of this collection deals with Mullins' political career, both as a candidate, representative for the Republican party and as an advocate, the collection also contains personal items such as family correspondence, including letters and postcards, and photographs. These all pertain to either Mullins or her husband Jim, or to their three children and their families. There are also documents that belonged to Sue's family (the Blunts) including photographs, a genealogy, and a membership to the Matteson Historical Society.

The collection also includes materials related to Mullins' trips abroad, including to Russia and Korea. Materials related to her trips to Russia include correspondence, news clippings, notes, correspondence, itineraries, photographs, and materials related to the Stavropol Economic Development Project and Nizhny Novgorod Exchange.

 

Related materials

For a related collection, see the Iowa Women's Political Caucus Collection (MS-652) and The Iowa Women Legislator's Oral History Project (MS-257). The Iowa Women Legislator's Oral History Project contains an interview of Sue Mullins. The Special Collections and University Archives also holds a number of other legislators' papers.

 

Organization

The collection is organized chronologically with family correspondence at the beginning. Artifacts are listed separately at the end.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Personal correspondence: includes postcards and cards

1975-1984, undated

1

2

Personal correspondence: includes letters and postcards

1974-1990, undated

1

3

Daniel Mullins: correspondence and publications

1977, undated

2

1

Matteson genealogy: charts, history, and photographs (1-3x6 b/w, 1- 5x7 b/w)

1941-1943, undated

2

2

Campaign and personal documents: includes newsclippings, correspondence, bulletins, Corwith Centennial Celebration newspapers and flyers, The Matteson Historical Congress of America membership for Mrs. L.C. Blunt, and photographs (2- 3x3 b/w, 1- 5x7 b/w, 2- 8x10 b/w)

1960-1982, undated

2

3

Committees: includes correspondence, reports, itineraries, and brochures (1 of 2)

1964-1990, undated

2

4

Committees: includes correspondence, reports, itineraries, and brochures (2 of 2)

1964-1990, undated

2

5

Newsclippings, campaign ads, and brochures

1966-1979, undated

2

6

Campaign and personal documents: includes correspondence, newsclippings, and photographs (15-3x5, color and b/w, 2-5x7, color and b/w)

1974-1981, undated

2

7

Subject file: Health and Social Services - includes reports, notes, and correspondence

1975-1992, undated

2

8

Photographs: family, foreign trips, campaign (44- 3x5, 1-4x4, 4- 2x2, 2- 3x2, color and b/w)

1976-1978, undated

2

9

Correspondence: congratulatory letters

1977-1981, undated

2

10

Correspondence: official, condolence, thank you letters, and invitations

1977-1984, undated

3

1

Iowa Republican party: includes membership lists, news clippings, and nomination papers

1978, undated

3

2

Photographs (family, foreign trips) (2- 4x6, 3- 5x7, 20- 3x5)

1978-1981, undated

3

3

Directories and pamphlets: office legislature directory and directory of Republican women

1978-1988, undated

3

4

News clippings and photographs (family, trips) (1- 8x10, b/w, 6- 5x7, b/w, 18- 3x5, b/w)

1978-1988, undated

3

5

Campaign files: includes petitions, polling data, and campaign ads

1979-1988, undated

3

6

Correspondence: personal

1979-1989

3

7

Healthcare policy and legislation: includes correspondence, invitations, reports, and legislation

1980-1993

3

8

News clippings and photographs (family, trips, campaign) (4- 8x10 b/w)

1980-1996, undated

3

9

News clippings

1981, undated

3

10

Awards and invitations: includes presidential inauguration invitation

1981-1990

3

11

Campaign and committees: includes news clippings, magazine articles, correspondence, speeches, and photographs (2- 3x5 color, 3- 3x3 color, 3- 3x5 b/w, and 3- 5x7 b/w)

1981-1988

3

12

Conferences and articles: USSR Women's Workshop minutes, conference minutes, notes, and magazine articles

1981-1995, undated

4

1

Campaign data: includes map, census and polling data, and PAC notes

1981-1986, undated

4

2

Rutgers Center for the American Woman and Politics: includes reports and newsletter

1982-1993

4

3

Campaign advertising drafts and biography

1982, undated

4

4

Campaign brochures

1982, undated

4

5

Correspondence: campaign and official

1982-1988

4

6

News bulletins and Political Campaigning catalogue

1982-1989, undated

4

7

Speeches: includes notes and commencement program

1982, undated

4

8

Correspondence: personal

1983-1990

4

9

NETWORK: includes newsletters, briefs, correspondence, and brochures

1983-1993, undated

4

10

Speeches and correspondence

1983-1984, undated

4

11

Russia Trip and other speaking engagements: includes slides from Russia, audiocassettes (2), correspondence, and photographs (1- 8x10, 2- 5x7, 1- 3x5))

1983-1995

5

1

Notebook: includes notes on Russia trip

1984, undated

5

2

Nomination papers and PAC list

1984

5

3

Photographs (3- 8x10 b/w, 1- 8x10 color)

1985, undated

5

4

Directories: National Directory of Women Elected Officials

1985, 1989

5

5

Magazines, brochures, final reports, and news clippings

1985-1988, undated

5

6

Legislation: includes fiscal note drafts, correspondence, and news clippings

1986-1988, undated

5

7

Campaign Ads: Darrel Hanson

1986, undated

5

8

Campaign budget: receipts, budget summaries, and handwritten notes

1986, undated

5

9

Iowa: 2000 and Soviet Women - includes reports and correspondence

1986-1991, undated

5

10

Correspondence, legislation, campaign advertisements (Mullins and Christensen) and news clippings

1986-1988, undated

6

1

NETWORK: includes correspondence, reports, brochures, and legislation

1987-1990

6

2

NETWORK: includes correspondence, reports, brochures, and legislation

1987-1990

6

3

Directories: Directory of State and Federal Republican Women Elected Officials and Women in American Politics

1987-1994

6

4

Correspondence: Rural Health Care Workshop and policy

1987-1988, undated

6

5

Correspondence: personal

1988-1990

6

6

NETWORK: includes brochures, briefs, and newsletters

1988-1993, undated

6

7

Healthcare: includes correspondence, bill comparison, Health Policy Symposium agenda

1988

6

8

Correspondence: condolence and primary support

1988, undated

6

9

News releases

1988, undated

6

10

Iowa Future Project: includes newsclippings, action plan, minutes, and lists of committee members

1989, n.d

6

11

Delegation of the National Council State Legislators Women's Network: Observation Tour of Korea binder

1989

7

1

NETWORK: includes correspondence, reports, and questionnaires

1989-1990, undated

7

2

NCPA contract: includes correspondence, Women, Babies, & Drugs report, handwritten notes, and additional drafts

1989-1990

7

3

NETWORK: includes financial statements, correspondence, and reports

1989-1990

7

4

Russia: includes correspondence, travel notes, news clippings, and photograph (1- 3x5, color)

1990-1994, undated

7

5

Iowa Peace Institute: includes brochures, mission statement, reports, and correspondence

1990, undated

7

6

NETWORK: includes briefs, brochure, bulletins, and newsclippings

1990-1993, undated

7

7

U.S. Commemorative Women's Stamp: includes letter and autographed poster

1991, undated

7

8

Iowa Sister States: report, itinerary, and brief

1992

7

9

ISU Legislative Contact Program: includes lists of members and financial reports

1992, undated

7

10

Stavropol Economic Development Project: includes reports and correspondence (some in Russian)

1993-1994, undated

8

1

Nizhny Novgorod Exchange: includes itineraries, reports, correspondence, news clippings, and photographs (10- 4x6, color, 2- 3x4 color)

1996, undated

8

2

Iowa State University Extension: Certificate of Appreciation

1997 circa

8

3

Guestbook

undated

8

4

Photograph (1- 5x13 b/w)

undated

8

5

Videotape: Iowa's Agenda

undated

8

6

Photograph: Sue Mullins with President George Bush and Barbara Bush (1- 8x10 color)

undated

Map case

C410
D09

Campaign poster and election certificates (see map case)

1979-1987, undated

 

Artifact list

Artifact Number

Title

Dates

2009-194.001 -- 2009-194.004

Republican party and campaign buttons

1992, undated

2009-194.005 -- 2009-194.007

Campaign clips

undated

2009-194.008

Campaign stamp

undated

2009-194.009 -- 2009-194.011

House of Representatives name/county placards

undated

2009-194.012 --2009-194.014

Awards/Plaques: includes plaque of appreciation

1990-1993, undated

2009-194.015 -- 2009-194.016

Campaign bags

undated

2009-194.017

Campaign bumper sticker

undated

2009-194.018 -- 2009-194.019

Campaign sashes

undated

2009-194.020

Clean up Politics, Elect Women! apron

undated

2009-194.021

A Woman's Place is in the House...and the Senate bag

undated