Norma Dobler

Papers, 1967-1991
4 cubic feet

The records of Norma Dobler were donated to the University of Idaho Library by Norma Dobler in December 1990 and March 1997. They were processed by Karen Hertel in November 1999.

Biography

Norma Dobler was born Norma Woodhouse on May 2, 1917 to Lester and Bessie Woodhouse in Haines, Oregon. The family moved to a farm in southern Idaho's Canyon County during the fall of 1917. Norma graduated from Caldwell High School in 1934. She then attended Links Business College in Boise for a year, the University of Cincinnati for two years and graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in Business in 1939. Upon graduation, she worked in the University of Idaho registrar's office for two years.

Norma married Clifford Dobler on June 14, 1941. That year Clifford joined the faculty of the University of Idaho as an associate professor of political science where he taught business law courses for the next 36 years. After her marriage, Norma devoted herself to raising their three children and became very active in volunteer work. She served for 12 years as Sunday school superintendent for the Methodist Church, 12 years as a 4-H youth leader, and worked with the Campfire group for two years. She also worked as a county fair judge and election judge. Dobler spent six years on the Moscow School Board and three years as president of the Idaho League of Women Voters before her legislative stint and served nine years on the Idaho Tax Board of Appeals afterwards. She took up her career again in 1971 and worked as secretary to the State Extension Forester until 1975. She was awarded life membership in the PTA, American Association of University Women, United Methodist Women, and Delta Kappa Gamma Education Honorary and received the "Citizen of the Year" award from the National Association of Social Workers. She is listed in several "Who's Who" books, and "Two Thousand Women of Achievement" and the "Dictionary of International Biographies".

A staunch democrat, Dobler was long active in politics through her work with the League of Women Voters. In 1973 she won a seat in the state House of Representatives. During her four years as a representative, she served on the Education, Health and Welfare and Resource and Conservation committees. In 1977 she was elected to the state senate, serving for five terms until her retirement in 1986. Her committees included Health, Education and Welfare, Resources and Environment, Judiciary and Rules, and State Affairs.

Dobler was a passionate crusader for the rights of women, senior citizens and children, education and the environment. Legislation that she sponsored, or was particularly involved with, concerned displaced homemakers, Idaho's ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, day care licensing, reapportionment of the legislative districts, abortion, divorce, drinking age, driving under the influence of alcohol, harassment (hate crimes), higher education, liquor revenue, and the state liquor dispensary system. She was also active on the Development Disabilities Council, the State Employment and Training Advisory Council, and the Idaho Cancer Coordinating Committee. On a national level, Dobler served on the Education Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the advisory board for the National Education Data Library, the American Association of Retired Persons' legislative committee, and a national commission to prevent telemarketing fraud of senior citizens.

Norma Dobler passed away on June 1, 1998 from head injuries she suffered in a fall at her Moscow home. Her husband; her children, Sharon Vega, Terry Dobler and Carol Harris; a brother, Clyde Woodhouse; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren survived her. Upon her death, Senator Marguerite McLaughlin commented, "She probably was the most fair legislator I ever knew. She listened to both sides and tried to make decisions based on that."

Scope And Content

The records of Norma Dobler span the years 1962 to 1995, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1976 to 1987.

Included are correspondence, notes, transcripts of speeches, newspaper clippings, photocopies of legislation, and publications concerning her career as a politician, a member of the League of Women Voters, and a delegate to the 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston.

Arrangement and Description

The bulk of the material in this group was in labeled folders, with the remainder loose or in three-ring binders. There was no discernible order. Folders were arranged in alphabetical order in a single series. Original folder headings were retained with additional description added for clarification. Material in three-ring binders was removed from the binders and placed in acid-neutral folders. The loose material was placed in folders and given appropriate headings.

Some of the folders span a wide date range. Although they contain material relating to Dobler's work as a legislator, apparently she added clippings, journal articles, pamphlets and correspondence to the files after her retirement from the legislature.

Upon receipt of the material approximately 1 c.f. of publications, primarily state documents, was transferred to other parts of the library. During processing publications that had no notes in them and are readily available elsewhere were also transferred. A list of publications withdrawn during processing has been placed with the accession record. Duplicate photocopies and newspaper clippings were also discarded. This reduced the quantity of materials by 1.5 cubic feet.

Inventory

Norma Dobler

Box 	Folder	Description	Items

1	1-4	1% tax initiative, 1977-1994	136
	5-6	Abortion, 1976-1990	78
	7	Alcohol awareness, 1983-1984	12
	8	Cancer Coordinating Committee, 1978-1984	11
	9	Child abuse, 1976-1984	22
	10	Child health, 1984-1986	9
	11	Child support, 1984-1985	12
	12	Child welfare, 1983-1986	7
	13	Church, Frank, 1976-1984	14
	14	Day care, 1984-1986	52
	15	Displaced homemakers, 1977-1983	59
	16	Alliance for Displaced Homemakers, 1977-1978	9
	17	Center for New Directions, 1982-1993	20
	18	Correspondence, 1977	63
	19	Correspondence, 1978	52
	20	Correspondence with Gwilliam, 1978-1979	5
	21	Idaho Displaced Homemakers Network, 1979-1990	12
	22	Job Training Partnership Act(JTPA), 1987-1990	9
	23	Needs assessment, 1983	1
	24	Reports, 1979-1987	6
	25	SB1345 public hearing, 1978	15
	26	Speeches, 1977-1984	26
	27	Twin Falls center, 1979-1980	15
	28	Divorce bills, 1983-1986 	24
	29	Divorce, Case file, 1983-1985	16
	30	Divorce laws (1980), 1986	33
	31	Dobler, Norma and Clifford, 1962-1988	4
	32	Drinking age, 1983-1986	48
	33	Driving Under the Influence(DUI), 1980-1983	34
2	34	1982 bills, 1980-1982 	40
	35	1983 bills, 1983	6
	36	Driver's license records, 1977-1982	16
	37-38	Econometric Energy Study, 1977-1978	19
	39	Audit, 1978	22
	40	Environmental protection, 1972-1991	18
	41-45	ERA, 1972-1984	209
	46	Anti, 1972-1980	36
	47	Economic equity, 1975-1980	6
	48	HCR10, 1976-1977	97
	49	Pro, 1972-1977	34
	50	Women and the law, 1978-1982	43
	51	Women's rights, 1974-1977	46
	52	Federal budget cuts and tax reduction, 1981-1982	45
	53	Foster care,	8
	54-55	Harassment bills, 1980-1988	157
	56	Health facilities, HJR12, 1978-1980	16
	57	Heyburn State Park, 1971-1983	72
	58	Higher education, 1967-1992	23
3	59	Ad Hoc Committee on higher education, Minutes, 1985	4
	60-62	Chancellor system, 1974-1992	58
	63	Closure of North Idaho College of Education (Normal School), 1985	1
	64	Tenure, 1971-1982	12
	65	Tuition, 1974-1991	41
	66	Idaho Office on Aging, 1986	1
	67	Idaho politicians, Clippings, 1987	4
	68	Idaho State School and Hospital, Gwilliam correspondence, 1979-1985	9
	69	Idaho Task Force on Higher Education, 1982-1983	25
	70	Correspondence, 1983-1984	17
	71	Idahonian board, 1986-1988	16
	72	Iran-Contra scandal, 1987-1988	10
	73	Land Resource Inventory Demonstration Project, 1979	1
	74	Land use planning, 1970-1982	30
	75	Clippings, 1973-1981	49
	76	League of Women Voters: Endowment lands, 1969-1993	16
	77	League of Women Voters: Public school funding, 1969-1982	14
	78	League of Women Voters: Public school finance, Court case, 1972-1975	13
	79	League of Women Voters: Revised constitution, 1970	26
	80	Legislative Budget Office, budget cuts FY1987, 1985	1
	81	Legislative Council Committee on Alcoholic Beverages, 1981-1985	32
	82	Legislative Council Committee on Indian Affairs, 1984-1985	3
	83	Legislative Council Committee on Local Government Revenues, 1985-1987	46
	84	Legislative proposals of governor and executive agencies, 1986	1
	85	Libya, 1977-1986	43
	86	Liquor dispensary, 1985-1986	6
	87	Liquor licenses, 1977-1980	32
	88-90	Liquor revenue, 1981-1985	80
	91	Medicaid, Medicare and Relative Responsibility, 1983-1990	91
	92	National Women's Conference, 1977	38
	93	National Women's Conference: Binder, 1977	1
	94	National Women's Conference: Buttons and passes, 1977	6
	95	National Women's Conference: Correspondence, 1977-1978	15
	96	National Women's Conference: Idaho state conference, 1977	11
4	97	National Women's Conference: Official briefing book, 1977	1
	98	National Women's Conference: Publications, 1977-1978	21
	99	National Women's Conference: State conferences, clippings, 1977	5
	100	Newspaper clippings, miscellaneous, ca. 1985	6
	101	Older Women's League, 1980-1988	23
	102	Persian Gulf War, 1991	6
	103	Presidential campaign, 1980-1984	12
	104	Project Independence Task Force, 1980	13
	105	Public television, 1981-1986	29
	106-107	Reapportionment, 1968-1991	78
	108	League of Women Voters, 1989-1991	3
	109	Other states, 1981-1984	25
	110	Retirement, PERSI system, 1984-1986	8
	111	Sagebrush rebellion, 1979-1980	14
	112	Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee, Minutes, 1986	1
	113	Sheriff amendment, 1985	16
	114	Soil conservation districts, 1985	7
	115-116	State Affairs Committee, Minutes, 1982-1983	2
	117	Swan Falls, 1979-1986	50
	118	Taxes (state), 1982-1986	3
	119	Teen pregnancy and sex education, 1974-1986	14
	120	U.S. presidents, 1986-1990	9
	121	Victim's rights, 1984-1986	12
	122	Water, 1981-1995	12
	123	Water quality, 1985-1986	12
	124	Water research, 1976-1977	9
	125	Weed control, 1982-1986	9
	126	Wilderness, 1978-1987	44
	127	Women's Commission, 1977-1986	31
	128	Women's rights, 1982-1989	13

November 1999 / mg402.htm