Doderer, Minnette, 1923-2005
Biography
Minnette Frerichs Doderer was born on May 16, 1923 near Holland, Iowa. Her parents, John and Sophie Frerichs, later moved the family to Waterloo where Minnette Frerichs graduated from East High School in 1941. She attended Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) and, in 1948, received a BA in economics from the University of Iowa. In 1944, she married Fred Doderer. They raised two children, Dennis and Kay Lynn, in Iowa City.
Doderer was active in the Democratic Party beginning in the 1950s, serving as vice-chair of the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee from 1956 to 1959 and acting as chair and co-chair of many county, district, and state Democratic conventions. One of the main issues she worked on was reapportionment. She co-chaired Hubert Humphrey's Iowa presidential campaign, and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and 1984.
Doderer was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1964 in a special election. She served in the House from 1964 to 1968. She served in the State Senate from 1968 to 1978. Doderer was House minority whip from 1967 to 1968 and was the first woman to act as president pro tempore of the Iowa Senate from 1975 to 1976. In 1970 and 1978, she ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor. In 1981, she was again elected to the House, where she continued to serve until her retirement in 2000.
Doderer's committee work and the legislation she sponsored in the Iowa General Assembly relate to a wide variety of issues. In particular, Doderer was active in promoting legislation relating to women's issues, such as the elimination of sexist language in the Iowa Code, gender balance in state commissions and gubernatorial appointments, comparable worth, gender equitable insurance, reproductive rights, and the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. She also worked on issues such as public health, prison reform, benefits for the elderly, child and spouse abuse, juvenile justice, collective bargaining rights for public employees, and the treatment of alcoholics.
Doderer was involved in many organizations including the League of Women Voters, the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, and the National Organization for Women. In 1977, she chaired the Iowa delegation to the International Women's Year conference in Houston. She was one of the organizers and charter members of the Iowa Women's Political Caucus. In 1979 she was elected to the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame and in 1989 (at the Hall of Fame ceremony of that year), she received the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice. After her retirement, Doderer moved to Oaknoll Retirement Center in Iowa City, where she passed away in 2005.
Found in 17 Collections and/or Records:
A Political Dialogue: Iowa's Women Legislators oral histories
Interviews with Iowa women legislators conducted by Suzanne O'Dea Schenken.
Audio recording, October 31, 2019
Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Jane Teaford about her legislative service, the women's caucus in the Iowa legislature, and the role of gender in politics.
Audio recording, August 19, 2020
Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Johnie Hammond about her legislative service, the women's legislative caucus and reasons for its discontinuation, male attitudes toward women in politics, and advice for other women running for office.
Audio recording, September 14, 2019
Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Jean Lloyd-Jones about her legislative service (including her role in saving the Rock Island Line), the women's caucus in the Iowa legislature, and the role of gender in politics.
Audio recording, October 21, 2019
Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Mona Martin about her legislative service (including her roles in the "drive-by delivery" ban, the 1998 Iowa ERA, and mandating insurance coverage for contraceptive care), her campaigns, and the role of gender in politics.
Audio recording, December 5, 2019
Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Mary Mascher about her legislative service, the role of gender in politics, and advice for other women running for office.
Audio recording, December 5, 2019
Audio recording of a tribute to Iowa state legislator Betty Jean "BeJe" Clark composed and read by her friend Mary Ellen Miller. The tribute discusses a variety of topics, including: Clark's childhood; her role in opposing the legalization of pari-mutuel betting in Iowa; her mentorship of legislative pages on how to handle sexual harassment from male legislators; the legislative women's caucus; the transition away from six-on-six girls' basketball; her relationships with other women legislators, including Betty Hoffman, Pat Thompson, and Nancy Shimanek; and her Methodist faith.
Audio recording, September 14, 2019
Audio recording of a tribute to Iowa state legislator Minnette Doderer, composed and read by her friend and fellow legislator Jean Lloyd-Jones; summarizes Doderer's personal biography, community service, and political career.
Minnette Doderer papers
Transcript, October 31, 2019
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Jane Teaford about her legislative service, the women's caucus in the Iowa legislature, and the role of gender in politics.
Transcript, August 19, 2020
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Johnie Hammond about her legislative service, the women's legislative caucus and reasons for its discontinuation, male attitudes toward women in politics, and advice for other women running for office.
Transcript, September 14, 2019
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Jean Lloyd-Jones about her legislative service (including her role in saving the Rock Island Line), the women's caucus in the Iowa legislature, and the role of gender in politics.
Transcript, October 21, 2019
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Mona Martin about her legislative service (including her roles in the "drive-by delivery" ban, the 1998 Iowa ERA, and mandating insurance coverage for contraceptive care), her campaigns, and the role of gender in politics.
Transcript, December 5, 2019
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Mary Mascher about her legislative service, the role of gender in politics, and advice for other women running for office.
Transcript, December 5, 2019
Transcript of a tribute to Iowa state legislator Betty Jean "BeJe" Clark composed and read by her friend Mary Ellen Miller. The tribute discusses a variety of topics, including: Clark's childhood; her role in opposing the legalization of pari-mutuel betting in Iowa; her mentorship of legislative pages on how to handle sexual harassment from male legislators; the legislative women's caucus; the transition away from six-on-six girls' basketball; her relationships with other women legislators, including Betty Hoffman, Pat Thompson, and Nancy Shimanek; and her Methodist faith.
Transcript, August 19, 2020
Transcript of a tribute to Iowa state legislator Minnette Doderer, composed and read by her friend and fellow legislator Johnie Hammond; summarizes Doderer's personal biography, community service, and political career. Topics include the women's legislative caucus, reapportionment, and sexism against women in politics.
Transcript, September 14, 2019
Transcript of a tribute to Iowa state legislator Minnette Doderer, composed and read by her friend and fellow legislator Jean Lloyd-Jones; summarizes Doderer's personal biography, community service, and political career.
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