Seventy-five years ago, a small group of Amarillo women gathered around kitchen tables with a mission — to make democracy work better for everyone. They wrote letters, held forums and registered voters, believing that the right to vote was the cornerstone of equality and progress.
On Saturday night, the modern-day successors of that movement came together at AmTech Career Academy to celebrate three-quarters of a century of civic engagement and to reaffirm the mission that still drives them: empowering voters and defending democracy.
Kimberly Anderson, president of the League of Women Voters of Amarillo, speaks during the organization's 75th anniversary celebration Oct. 4th at AmTech Career Academy. Michael Cuviello/Amarillo Globe News
Carrying the torch forward
Kimberly Anderson, who became president of the Amarillo League of Women Voters in June, said the organization’s history is a reminder that progress is never guaranteed.
“It’s an honor to stand on the shoulders of women who have done this work for decades,” Anderson said. “We’re celebrating the past, but also looking forward. Democracy only survives when people are willing to protect it — and that means staying engaged, informed and ready to act.”
Anderson spoke before a crowd of current and former League members, community partners and guests from across the Panhandle, including League of Women Voters of Texas President Joyce LeBombard and Kylie Kincaid, assistant archivist at Texas Tech University’s Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, which houses League records from across the state.
LeBombard, who leads the state organization representing 33 active local Leagues and more than 4,500 members, praised Amarillo’s longevity and its role in strengthening civic participation across Texas.
“Not every community in Texas has a local League,” LeBombard said. “For Amarillo to sustain one for 75 years shows the strength of its citizens’ commitment to fair and informed elections. The Panhandle plays an essential role in keeping Texas democracy strong.”
Joyce LeBombard, president of the League of Women Voters Texas, speaks during the organization's 75th anniversary celebration Oct. 4th at AmTech Career Academy. Michael Cuviello/Amarillo Globe News
Anderson said that spirit of inclusion and community has long been part of the League’s DNA.
“We’re one of the few spaces left that is truly nonpartisan,” she said. “People from any background, any party and any gender are welcome if they believe in our mission. We even have men among our members who are just as passionate about defending democracy. That’s powerful in a time when division seems to dominate everything.”
A legacy of advocacy and impact
Formed in 1950, the Amarillo League joined a statewide network working to promote informed participation in government. Its early advocacy led to landmark victories, such as helping push for legislation in 1955 that allowed women to serve on juries in Texas.
In the 1960s, the League became an early champion for voting machines, pushing modernization efforts long before electronic voting became standard. More recently, local members have focused on addressing maternal mortality, expanding voter education and combating misinformation about elections.
“The League has always been about service — from voters guides and candidate forums to advocacy on key issues,” Anderson said. “Our work on maternal mortality builds on that legacy. We’re always looking for where the need is greatest and how we can help citizens make informed choices.”
Among those who have witnessed the League’s evolution firsthand is Claudia Stravato, its longest-serving Amarillo member.
Claudia Stravato, the longest-serving member of the League of Women Voters of Amarillo, speaks to attendees during the organization's 75th anniversary celebration Oct. 4th at AmTech Career Academy. Michael Cuviello/Amarillo Globe News
“I learned more about my community and government operations from the League of Women Voters than any other source,” Stravato said. “Working in the League can give you a bachelor’s degree in politics. I wouldn’t take anything for my 50 years in the League, which started in St. Louis, Missouri, and continued here in Amarillo.”
Stravato said the League’s strength lies in its discipline and credibility — and in its ability to adapt while staying true to its mission.
“The League studies current political issues, reaches consensus among its members and then takes action,” she said. “You can depend on their information about government. The League has never been about partisanship. It’s about education and empowerment — and that’s something that never goes out of style.”
“When I look back over the decades,” she added, “one of the biggest changes I’ve seen is that women aren’t afraid to speak out anymore. In the 2000s, when the national League started filing amicus briefs and even its own lawsuits, that was a turning point. The League came into its own — no longer viewed as just ‘little old ladies in tennis shoes,’ but as a serious civic organization unafraid to take a stand.”
She recalled how the Amarillo League was once rooted in a different era. “When I joined, we were still listed in the Globe-News as ‘Mrs. John Smith’ instead of our own names,” she said. “It wasn’t until the paper started using ‘Ms.’ that women began being recognized as individuals in their own right. That was a huge shift — it seems small now, but it was revolutionary at the time.”
After its founding, she said, one of the Amarillo League’s first major projects helped prepare women for civic participation. “We published pamphlets on what to expect serving on juries — how to get selected and how to behave,” she said. “Remember, women couldn’t serve on juries in Texas until 1954. That wasn’t ancient history — that was within living memory.”
Over time, the League expanded its work from quiet study groups to visible community advocacy. “We became more public,” Stravato said. “We held candidate forums, printed guides on constitutional amendments and distributed booklets listing every elected official in the city, county and state so voters knew who represented them. We’ve registered voters at libraries, schools and shopping centers, and worked relentlessly to get people to the polls.”
Despite progress, she noted that Texas still ranks near the bottom nationally in voter turnout. “We’ve never stopped trying to fix that,” she said. “It’s not enough to register voters — we have to motivate them to show up. That’s the League’s biggest challenge and our biggest purpose.”
A display of archived newspaper clippings highlights the history of the League of Women Voters during the organization's 75th anniversary celebration Oct. 4th at AmTech Career Academy. Michael Cuviello/Amarillo Globe News
Through it all, Stravato said, the League’s educational mission hasn’t changed. “We’ve always done deep research before we take a position,” she said. “The pros and cons we publish for constitutional amendments are written by the League in Austin, and they study, study, study before releasing them. That’s why our information is trusted — it’s careful, factual and nonpartisan.”
With a smile, she added, “And we’ve never forgotten that it wasn’t so long ago that people thought if women voted, our brains might burst. That was a real belief among men. So yes, we’ve had something to prove for the past hundred years — and I think we’ve done that pretty well.”
Preserving the stories that built a movement
As part of the evening’s program, archivist Kylie Kincaid offered a glimpse into the state’s collection of League history stored at Texas Tech University. The Southwest Collection includes bulletins, newsletters, membership lists and financial records — a living record of the organization’s persistence and progress.
“We have more than 75 years of documents that trace the League’s growth,” Kincaid said. “These records show not just what the League accomplished, but how ordinary citizens — often women who had to fight for their place in civic life — changed their communities through organization and education.”
Kylie Kincaid, assistant archivist with the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech Univerisy, speaks about archival records of the League of Women Voters. Michael Cuviello/Amarillo Globe News
Kincaid said it’s important to remember how recent much of that progress is, noting that American women have only had the right to vote for just over a century.
“When you think about that — that it’s been barely a hundred years since women could even cast a ballot — it makes the League’s history and its continued work all the more remarkable,” she said.
She added that preserving the organization’s legacy ensures future generations understand the contributions of women who shaped civic participation in Texas.
“It’s a privilege, but also a responsibility,” Kincaid said. “We want to do justice to their stories — especially in regions like the Panhandle that are sometimes overlooked in statewide history.”
Defending democracy in a changing time
Anderson noted that the League’s work remains vital as debates over voting access, redistricting and election integrity continue to shape the political landscape.
“Since the beginning of 2025 alone, we’ve seen redistricting efforts that could dilute minority voices and federal attempts to access state voter files — things that threaten privacy and fairness,” she said. “Our members have responded with calls to action, encouraging people to contact their legislators and stay involved.”
She emphasized that the League’s role as a trusted, nonpartisan source of information is more important than ever. Through its online voter guide at Vote411.org, the League provides side-by-side candidate information, ballot explanations and pros and cons of proposed amendments — all written without bias.
“We reach out to every candidate, no matter their party,” Anderson said. “Their words appear exactly as submitted. We don’t tell anyone how to vote — we just give them the tools to do it confidently.”
LeBombard said the League’s statewide work follows the same philosophy.
“Whether it’s Amarillo, Austin or Abilene, our mission doesn’t change,” she said. “We’re focused on empowering voters, defending democracy and ensuring that every Texan — regardless of age, gender or background — can make their voice heard at the ballot box. Local Leagues like Amarillo are where that work truly begins.”
Guests listen to a presentation during the League of Women Voters of Amarillo's 75th anniversary celebration Oct. 4th at AmTech Career Academy. Michael Cuviello/Amarillo Globe News
Looking ahead
For a movement born from the fight for suffrage, the League’s message of civic empowerment still resonates.
“Rights aren’t won easily, and once they are, they must be protected,” Anderson said. “That’s what tonight is about — honoring those who came before us and recommitting to the work ahead.”
The Amarillo League holds membership meetings on the fourth Saturday of each month at the Amarillo Area Foundation, featuring educational presentations on civic and policy issues.
“The League welcomes everyone who believes in empowering voters and defending democracy,” Anderson added. “That mission doesn’t end at 75 years — it continues as long as there’s a need to ensure every voice is heard.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: League of Women Voters celebrates 75 years in Amarillo