Fettuccine Forum
Water, Silver & Activism: Idaho’s Women’s Suffrage Movement, 1894-1920
Join us for the March 5 Fettuccine Forum, where Dr. Laura Woodworth-Ney, Executive Vice President and Provost at Idaho State University, will explore the interplay of national politics, rural voters, and suffrage activist in-fighting in the passage of women's suffrage in the State of Idaho. Idaho was one of the first states to grant women the right to vote, but the reasons behind that early woman suffrage success may surprise you.
Idaho’s passage of women’s suffrage in 1896 made it the fourth state to grant women the right to vote in all elections. This legislation was enacted only six years after Idaho became a state. Why was Idaho such an outlier for the women’s vote? What made its political and cultural climate different from other states at the time? Did Idaho’s early suffrage make a difference for women’s lives in Idaho? Woodworth-Ney’s presentation will look beyond the women activists and women’s clubs who worked tirelessly on behalf of the women’s vote in Idaho to unravel the unlikely political alliances that made Idaho’s suffrage passage possible.
Laura Woodworth-Ney is executive vice president and provost (EVPP) at Idaho State University. Previously, she served as provost and vice president for academic affairs and associate vice president for academic affairs. Woodworth-Ney’s former administrative appointments at ISU include chair of the department of history and co-director of women studies. She also served on the ISU Faculty Senate, both as a senator and as an elected member of the faculty senate executive committee. Woodworth-Ney is an active national speaker on topics in higher education and the humanities. She has authored more than 30 articles, book reviews, and scholarly essays, as well as three books (several co-authored). She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Idaho, and a Ph.D. in American history and public history from Washington State University.
WHEN & WHERE
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Boise City Hall (150 N Capitol Blvd)
Maryanne Jordan Council Chambers, Third Floor
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Presentation begins at 6:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public
In 2020, the Boise City Department of Arts & History leads the City’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. This year-long series of programs and events includes a special trio of Fettuccine Forums, Suffrage and Citizenship: 100 Years of History. Learn more.
About the Fettuccine Forum
Boise State University College of Social Science and Public Affairs began the Fettuccine Forum in 1989 as a lunch-time lecture at Noodles, a popular Italian restaurant. Mayor David Bieter’s father, Pat Bieter, was one of the early founders, along with his friend Pug Ostling. In 2003, Mayor Bieter relaunched the Fettuccine Forum with support from the Department of History at Boise State University as a First Thursday event, produced by the Office of the City Historian. In 2008, the newly-formed Department of Arts & History took over the role. The Fettuccine Forum remains a lively and informal gathering, which invites the public to interact with politicians, artists, historians, activists, advocates and professionals in an effort to promote good citizenship and responsible growth through education. Support from the Office of the Mayor, Boise State Public Radio, and the Boise State University History Department all make the Forum possible.
The Boise City Department of Arts & History encourages persons with disabilities and those who require language assistance to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing an accommodation, please contact Jennifer Yribar, 208-608-7051 or email jyribar@cityofboise.org, as soon as possible, but no later than 72 hours before the event. To request assistance, you may also dial TTY 1-800-377-3529.
Image courtesy of Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, National American Woman Suffrage Association Records