Next year, Michigan voters will weigh in on whether the state should hold a constitutional convention to revise and update the state’s governing document.
It’s a question that automatically gets placed on the ballot every 16 years.
The last time the state held a constitutional convention was in 1961, and it was the first time women were a part of the process.
Lynn Liberato is the author of a new book following their experiences during the convention. It’s called "Michigan’s Con-Con 11: Women and State Constitution-making in 1961."
Liberato's father was a delegate, but he didn't leave many notes for her to look back on. So, she decided to focus on a different subject.
"You just wouldn't know who these women were, and they shouldn't have their story told," she said.
The 11 female delegates came from both parties and had a variety of backgrounds, from homemakers to teachers to union leaders to lawyers. Several women represented the League of Women Voters, one of the groups that pushed for the constitutional convention.
"None of them wanted to be associated with feminist label. And basically came out and said, you know, 'We're not here for women's issues" or "We're here for all the people of the state of Michigan,'" Liberato explained.
"But as things unfolded, they couldn't help but address a lot of issues that impacted women."
This included a debate over the inclusion of "sex" in an equal protection clause, which was a part of the new constitution until the final days of the convention when it was removed. The women were on both sides of the issue.
These delegates contributed on a variety of issues from local governance to education to civil service. One of them was Daisy Elliott who pushed for the creation of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. She later went on to co-sponsor the state's anti-discrimination law, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
Liberato says if Michiganders do initiate a convention next year, the new delegates will likely have more resources than the ones who worked in the early 1960s.
"With the internet and everything, anyone running for Con-Con delegate really could hit the ground running. They could learn a lot before they even set foot in Constitution Hall on the first day. "
Interview Highlights
On why she wrote the book
I was a child when Con-Con occurred, and my father was a delegate, and so, I had no idea what it was about. Long story short, after I retired, and I had time to do what I really wanted to do which was to write. I was always fascinated by Con-Con. I have my dad's copy of the Official Record. I realized because I never interviewed him, and he didn't leave much of a record, I wanted to write about him. There were 144 delegates. And I thought, well, I didn't really want to write about any of the other men. And then I realized there's only 11 women. 133 men, 11 women. And then I realized they were the first female delegates to a state constitutional convention. I thought this could be a good story.
On some of the issues the female delegates focused on during the convention
They really were not focused on women's issues. They had no choice but to address it when that came up ....The League had a definite platform. So, especially those three women, they were very focused on the League platform and very focused on local government. Your three Black delegates were very focused on civil rights.
On the book and other resources for any future constitutional conventions
It gives you a really good idea of what a constitutional convention is, but it really gives you a great idea of what it means to be a delegate. You know, in the beginning, it was all glamorous, and believe me, it is the work that is involved or should be involved. But now, with the internet and everything, anyone running for Con-Con delegate really could hit the ground running. They could learn a lot before they even set foot in Constitution Hall on the first day. And there's no reason in this day and age why they couldn't really be prepared.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: Next year, Michigan voters will weigh in on whether the state should hold a constitutional convention to revise and update the state’s governing document.
It’s a question that automatically gets placed on the ballot every 16 years.
The last time the state held a constitutional convention was in 1961, and it was the first time women were a part of the process.
Lynn Liberato is the author of a new book following their experiences during the convention. It’s called "Michigan’s Con-Con 11: Women and State Constitution-making in 1961." She joins me now. Thanks for being here.
Lynn Liberato: Thank you, Sophia.
Saliby: Why did you decide to write this book?
Liberato: I was a child when Con-Con occurred, and my father was a delegate, and so, I had no idea what it was about. Long story short, after I retired, and I had time to do what I really wanted to do which was to write. I was always fascinated by Con-Con. I have my dad's copy of the Official Record. I realized because I never interviewed him, and he didn't leave much of a record, I wanted to write about him.
There were 144 delegates. And I thought, well, I didn't really want to write about any of the other men. And then I realized there's only 11 women. 133 men, 11 women. And then I realized they were the first female delegates to a state constitutional convention. I thought this could be a good story.
And I wanted to tell their story because most people do not know with maybe exception of Daisy Elliott, probably don't know, unless you're a League of Women Voters member because there were several leaders there, you just wouldn't know who these women were, and they shouldn't have their story told.
Saliby: Can you briefly tell us about the diversity of backgrounds in this group of 11 women delegates?
Liberato: Vera Andrus was referred to as Miss Community College. She was one of the first staffers at Port Huron College and an administrator, taught government classes for over 30 years.
Ruth Butler was the only female delegate from the Upper Peninsula. And to me, she was 70 years old, but I think of all the women, she was the one that really spoke out for women's rights. And you know, she was just a delight. She was from Houghton.
Anne Conklin never intended to run. Her party saw something in her, which obviously they did, and they asked her to run. She did. She answered the call. Katherine Cushman was one of our three League of Women Voters of Michigan leaders, just had a tremendous background in state and local government.
Ann Donnelly was a Detroit attorney, well respected. She may have created the first female law firm in Detroit, not sure about that, but that was the 1950s. Daisy Elliott, a lot of people probably know her because she co-sponsored the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, 1976, I think, and 2020, I believe, Governor Whitmer named a office building in downtown Lansing after her.
Adelaide Hart, she should really be known. She really was a leader for the Democratic Party. She was the caucus chair at Con-Con and really wielded probably the most power at Con-Con among the females. Lillian Hatcher, just I think of my dad, because he was big union member, so I enjoyed researching her. She was the United Auto Workers first Black female international representative, very interesting background, and she was an advocate, one of the strongest advocates for women's rights and minority rights at convention.
Dorothy Judd from Grand Rapids was one of the League leaders. She's probably the mother of the Michigan Civil Service Commission, a very fascinating woman, I could say so much about her, but she was the only woman appointed to the 1935 Civil Service Commission, which was responsible for getting legislation.
Ella Koeze from Grand Rapids area. She was the Republican National Committee woman, and I think the most important thing she did at Con-Con was when the committee assignments were handed out ,there were six Republican women, five Democratic women, but the Republican women, even though they were the party was in the majority 99-45, the women were not given a chairmanship or a first chairmanship, which was kind of an insult. And as the Republican National Committee woman, each delegate was supposed to list their four committee choices, she never got one of her four committee choices. It's an interesting story.
And then lastly, we have Marjorie McGowan, who another Detroit attorney, and, yeah, an up-and-coming star. And that's all I'll say about them right now. So, we had a fairly diverse background, I think, among women.
Saliby: What were the key issues these women focused on throughout the convention. Reading your book, they kind of had all types of backgrounds and priorities when they went into this.
Liberato: None of them wanted to be associated with feminist label. And basically came out and said, you know, "We're not here for women's issues" or "We're here for all the people of the state of Michigan," which is the way it should be. We should think of the entire state first. But as things unfolded, they couldn't help but address a lot of issues that impacted women.
The main one being the constitution did not have an equal protection clause. That was put in for our '63 constitution. Really until the 11th hour, unanimously, you know, when they say, don't discriminate because of race, religion, sex, until the very end, it included sex. And I get into the story of why sex was taken out as a protected class, pretty much at the last minute, and that was a big issue. We still do not have sex as a protected class in the non-discrimination clause, in our equal protection clause in our constitution. It's still not there.
Ruth Butler, you know, she spoke about gender neutral language, because it was always being referred to as men for the Supreme Court, for the governor and those kind of things. But I would say the equal protection clause, when they took out sex as a protected class, as far as women's issues, I would say.
But they really were not focused on women's issues. They had no choice but to address it when that came up. But especially your League women, you know, you have to remember that the League of Women Voters, really, of any organization, was a primary moving force to get the last Con-Con called along with Citizens for Michigan and the Jaycees. The League had a definite platform. So, especially those three women, they were very focused on the League platform and very focused on local government.
Your three Black delegates were very focused on civil rights. And possibly the best thing that came out of Con-Con was the creation of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. And we're the only state, all the other states did it through their legislatures. Our delegates created it in the Constitution. We're the only state that did that.
Saliby: What do you think about the possibility of Michigan voters potentially initiating a convention next year?
Liberato: One good thing about this book, too, besides the women, which is very important, it really will give the reader, and by the way, I wrote it for a general audience, I tried to make it very readable, make it easier for people to read and understand. Because the constitution is for people.
It gives you a really good idea of what a constitutional convention is, but it really gives you a great idea of what it means to be a delegate. You know, in the beginning, it was all glamorous, and believe me, it is the work that is involved or should be involved. But now, with the internet and everything, anyone running for Con-Con delegate really could hit the ground running. They could learn a lot before they even set foot in Constitution Hall on the first day. And there's no reason in this day and age why they couldn't really be prepared.
And again, I have to say, by the way, the last convention did offer a resolution to the Citizens Research Council, because of all the material that was not biased. They really, those delegates relied on that information. If there is another Con-Con, I would say to any candidate, there is a lot you can learn on your own, and you know, certainly become very familiar with our constitution, all of the articles and sections.
Saliby: Lynn Liberato is the author of the book "Michigan's Con-Con 11." Thank you for joining us.
Liberato: Thanks, Sophia. Thank you very much.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
