Dorothy Carpenter papers

Collection

Identifier: IWA0278

Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

The Dorothy Carpenter papers date from 1979 to 1995 and measure 2.5 linear feet. The papers are arranged in two series: Correspondence and Legislation. A curriculum vita is filed in the first folder.

The Correspondence series (1985-1992) contains letters from constituents, as well as Carpenter's replies, on issues of taxation, abortion and other topics. The series also includes one file of correspondence between Carpenter and Iowa's delegates to the United States Congress.

The Legislation series (1979-1995) contains four categories abortion, education, ethics, and state employee pensions.

Dates

Creation: 1979-1995

Creator

Carpenter, Dorothy, 1933-2011 (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

Dorothy F. Carpenter, a legislator and community volunteer, was born in 1933 in Ismay, Montana, to Daniel and Mary Ann George Fulton. She graduated from Custer County High School in Miles City, Montana, in 1951 and attended Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, receiving a B.A. in 1955. She married Thomas Ward Carpenter that year; they had two children, Mary and James. Carpenter taught elementary school in Texas from 1955 to 1957 and in Iowa in 1958.

She was active in the Episcopal Church, the League of Women Voters of Metro Des Moines, and Planned Parenthood of Iowa; from 1977 to 1980 she served on the board of directors of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Carpenter, a Republican, was elected to the Iowa General Assembly in 1980. During her fourteen years in the Iowa House of Representatives, Carpenter served on several committees, including Ways and Means, Education, State Government, and House Administration and Rule. She was the Assistant Minority Floor Leader from 1980 to 1988. Carpenter retired from the General Assembly in 1994.

Carpenter died in 2011.