Daily Camera September 6, 2001 by Silvia Patten

On Election Day in November 1962, Republican candidate John Love defeated Democratic candidate Steve McNichols for governor. The next day, Boulder residents Jan Weir and Reggie Wieder met informally and decided to create an organization called the Democratic Women of Boulder County. A few weeks later, the Daily Camera gave brief mention of their first meeting at the home of Doris Havice.

To get the organization off the ground, Weir and Wieder created a phone list of 100 potentially interested women. Of the 75 who packed Havice’s living room, virtually all of them became members. The groundswell of enthusiasm generated that day turned into a forum for women to learn about issues and to act for change. In the past four decades, the political organization has come of age. It is alive and well and still as active as ever.

At the group’s second meeting, in January 1963, Weir was elected the DWBC’s first president. She had recently moved from Oregon where she had served the Democratic party in several capacities, including participation in Adlai Stevenson’s Oregon campaign committee.

“It was just a wonderful explosion of very intelligent and educated women who wanted to be active in politics,” Weir said recently. “It was astonishing how many women came forward.”

In February 1963, the DWBC began holding monthly luncheon meetings at the Lamp Post Restaurant. They kept the cost low ($1.25 in the early days) so as many women as possible would be able to attend. The group’s first speaker was Jean Graham, Democratic National Committee woman from Colorado. She told her audience that they needed to be self-confident, to speak up and to become more involved in politics.

They already had a good role model. In 1962, Havice, who had hosted the first meeting, entered the race for the state Legislature. Although she lost, she was the first woman from Boulder County to run for the office.

Led by Weir and Wieder (with the assistance of Nancy Kraushaar and Mavis McKelvey) and joined by Havice and the other founding members, the organization began right away to discuss political issues. The women also met and talked with party leaders and raised money to aid local candidates, both male and female, in their campaigns.

In reflecting on the organization’s accomplishments, Weir said, “The 2nd Congressional District has remained Democratic, and we have excellent representation from Boulder County in the Colorado General Assembly. We think we’ve made a difference.”

In October, the DWBC will host a candidates’ luncheon in which members can participate in one-on-one discussions. The organization’s next meeting will be Wednesday. For information, contact current president Barb Cardell at (303) 413-8301.

Silvia Pettem writes on history for the Daily Camera. Write her at the Daily Camera, P.O. Box 591, Boulder 80306, or e-mail pettem@earthlink.net.