The Patricia Pardun papers measure 2.0 linear feet and date from 1956 to 1978, with only a few items extending beyond 1975. Patricia Pardun was an important figure in Iowa Republican Party politics from 1959-1976. Although the collection is rich in information about the Iowa Republican Party and the national Republican Party from 1966 to 1973, there is little in the papers pertaining to Patricia Pardun's official duties during her career and very little of a biographical nature. Researchers should examine the newspaper clippings for information outlining Patricia Pardun's political career. The Patricia Pardun papers are arranged in seven series: Correspondence and Articles, National Republican Party, Iowa Republican Party, Republican Women,Projects and Committees, and Slides, Photographs, and Artifacts.

The Correspondence files contain a copy of a letter written to Patricia Pardun by Richard Nixon duringthe 1968 presidential campaign, as well as letters from Mary Louise Smith, Governor Robert D. Ray, Lt. Governor Arthur Neu, Congressmen H.R. Gross and Wiley Mayne, Iowa Attorney General Richard C. Turner, and Iowa Secretary of State Melvyn Synhorst, among others. Most of these letters pertain to Pardun's resignation as vice-chair ofthe Republican State Central Committee in 1973.

The papers concerning the National Republican Party are mostly made up of convention information from 1968, 1972, and 1976 and publications from party headquarters. These publications include The History of the Republican Party 1854-1968, published by the National Committee in 1968, and various party pamphlets.

The bulk of the collection contains information on the Iowa Republican Party. This portion of the collection contains state party platforms, information about state conventions from 1954 to 1974,copies of the Iowa party newsletter, State finance committee information, andinformation concerning party members in each district and county. Included in thie portion of the collectionare copies of the Iowa Republican County Handbook from 1962 and 1963, state party organization lists from 1970 to 1973, and minutes from state central committee meetings from February 1969 and 1971 to 1973. This information would be particularly useful to researchers interested in Iowa party politics and activities of the Republican Party at the state and local levels.

An important segment of this collection included information concerning Republican Women. Specifically, this portion includes information on the Women's Division of the Republican National Committee, the National Federation of Republican Women, and the Iowa Council of Republican Women. Various handbooks from each of these groups are included in this portion of the collection. A major asset to this collection is the booklet, Women in Public Service, published in August 1971 by the Women's Division of the Republican National Committee. This booklet contains information on women in the Republican Party as well as women of all parties in Congress (through 1971). The report also lists the women in the Nixon presidential administration and women in federal agencies like the Department of Agriculture. Over half of the report is a state by state listing of all women in state office (elected and appointed), which includes selected county officials. This publication is very rich in data that would be easily converted into statistics concerning women in politics.

The Projects and Committees series contains information regarding activities Patricia Pardun was involved in within the Republican Party. These activities include, but are not limited to: legislative campaigns,Absentee and Special Ballot projects, voter registration projects, and "Opportunities Unlimited" conventions in Wisconsin and Iowa. Specific items contained here are mainly propaganda items such as fliers, booklets, pamphlets, and informative cards. Information concerning projects such as the Absentee and Special Ballot projects contain propaganda items as well as meeting notes and legislative information.

At the end of the collection are various Slides, Photographs, and Artifacts. The slides are all of Patricia Pardun speaking and attending a conference. The photographs include Pardun with Mary Louise Smith, Pat Nixon, Billie Ray, Senator Bourke Hickenlooper, Senator Jack Miller, and Congressman John Kyl. The artifacts mostly consist of nametags and ribbons from various conventions and pins and items relating to Pardun's careerin the Republican Party.