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[[underlined]] National Women's Conference - Houston 1977 [[/underlined]]

Mr. Ripley stated that the Smithsonian Institution was well represented at the National Women's Conference in November and received a great deal of excellent visibility and appreciation for its participation. The Institution sent three staff members, two exhibitions and fourteen old photographs from the struggle for women's suffrage for the official program. In addition, the gavel used to open the Conference was loaned by the Smithsonian's Division of Political History; this famous gavel was first used by Susan B. Anthony to open the National American Women Suffrage Convention in Washington, D.C. in 1896.

Ms. LaVerne Love of the Office of Equal Opportunity attended as one of six delegates representing federally employed women and conducted a workshop called "Myths About Women." Curator Edith Mayo of the Division of Political History attended to collect memorabilia from the Conference; and Dianne Walker of the Office of Computer Services joined Ms. Love and Ms. Mayo as an official observer. The well-received exhibitions included "Workers and Allies: Female Participation in the American Trade Union Movement," from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and "Black Women: Achievements Against the Odds," from the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum.