Sally Novetzke papers
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Scope and Contents
The Sally Novetzke papers date from 1974 to 2008 and measure 8.2 linear feet in 19 boxes. The papers are arranged in three series: Republican Party Involvement, Ambassadorship, and Organizational Involvement. The bulk of the collection is related to her involvement in the Republican Party and her role as US Ambassador to Malta.
The Republican Party Involvement series (1974-2000) covers Novetzke’s longstanding role in the Republican Party as an activist and Chair of the Linn County office. An early supporter of George HW Bush, Novetzke was the first woman to become the State Chairman of the Iowa Republican Party in 1985 and the State Co-Chairman of George Bush for President in 1988, the 1980 and 1984 Reagan/Bush campaigns, the 1980 Bush for President campaign, and Tom Tauke's Congressional campaign. Novetzke also was a Delegate to the National, State, District or County Republican conventions from 1974 to 1988. Materials include newspapers, photographs, correspondence, convention memorabilia, campaign items and bumper stickers.
The Ambassadorship series (1989-1993) contains materials from her time as the US Ambassador to Malta, a small island nation off the coast of southern Italy. The island is known for its centrality in the Mediterranean, where “the East meets the West, and the South meets the North.” The series is made up of correspondence, photographs, reception guestlists and invitations, as well as a collection of newspaper articles marking Novetzke’s time as ambassador. The Malta Summit subseries (1989) covers the 1989 summit between the United States President George HW Bush and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev that took place on December 2 and 3 off the coast of Malta, just a few months after Novetzke became Ambassador. The subseries contains four videocassettes, photographs, packets, and pamphlets from and about the summit, as well as speeches Novetzke gave reflecting on her role.
The Organizational Involvement series (1998-2008) offers a glimpse into the other activities Novetzke participated in outside of the Republican Party. Materials consist of conference agendas, speeches, and correspondence from Novetzke’s vocational education stewardship, Rice University, and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association, among others.
Dates
- Creation: 1974 - 2008
Creator
- Novetzke, Sally (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The papers are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to the University of Iowa.
However, copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge the Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/
Biographical / Historical
Born in Stillwater, Minnesota in 1932, Sally Johnson Novetzke attended Carlton College in 1950, joining the Republican Club and planning to study history and political science. In 1952, she met and married her husband, Richard Novetzke. After moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with her young family, Novetzke became increasingly involved in the Linn County and Iowa Republican Party.
In the late 1970s, she fostered an early and close relationship with George H.W. Bush. By 1980, Novetzke was a key activist and leader in the Republican Party. She was the Chair of the Linn County Republican Committee from 1980 to 1983 and the Co-chair of the 1980 Inauguration of Vice President Bush. In 1985, she became the first woman to hold the State Chair of the Iowa Republican Party and in 1988 became the State Co-Chair of Bush’s campaign for president. Rising in the Republican ranks, Novetzke found herself in competition for an open ambassadorship under President Bush.
In early 1989, Novetzke was named US Ambassador to Malta. She would move to Malta mere weeks before the planned Malta Summit between the United States and the Soviet Union in December. Novetzke had no foreign policy experience, however, her extensive time as a political activist molded her approach to ambassadorship. Using her connections with American politicians and businesspersons, she was able to increase investment and interest in the small island nation. While there, she would become accepted as a Dame of the American Association of the Sovereign Military Order of the Knights of St. John of Malta. Novetzke left Malta in 1993.
Sally Novetzke moved back to Iowa where she would continue to play a role in local Republican politics into the 2000s. She increased her involvement in other organizations such as the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association, National Council for Vocational Education, and American University in Rome. Remaining close friends until his death, Novetzke would attend George H.W. Bush’s invite-only funeral in 2018.
Extent
8.2 Linear Feet (6 Videocassettes [V1021 – V1027]; 2 Audiocassettes [a2015 – a2016]; Photographs in boxes 4, 13, 14, 17 )
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Republican Party activist and United States Ambassador to Malta from 1989 to 1993.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers (donor no. 1582) were donated by Sally Novetzke in 2018 and subsequent years.
- Title
- Sally Novetzke papers
- Author
- Emma Barton-Norris, 2022.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Iowa Women's Archives Repository
100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City IA 52242 IaU
319-335-5068
319-335-5900 (Fax)
lib-women@uiowa.edu