# Arvonne Fraser _Arvonne Skelton Fraser (1925–2018), Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party officer, president of the Women's Equity Action League, coordinator of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Women in Development and U.S. representative on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women — her public offices and what the record does and does not establish about her role_ | Arvonne Fraser | | |---|---| | Born | September 1, 1925, Lamberton, Minnesota | | Died | August 7, 2018, at 92 | | Party offices | secretary to the DFL state chairman (1948–1951); editor, *DFL News* (1954–1956); DFL vice chairman (1956–1962) | | Organizations | Women's Equity Action League, president (1972–1974); International Women's Rights Action Watch, founder and codirector | | Federal posts | Office of Presidential Personnel (1977); coordinator, Office of Women in Development, USAID (1977–1981); U.S. representative on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women — 1992–1994 in the finding aid; appointment announced Oct. 1993; 1993 and 1994 in her 2001 interview | | University | senior fellow, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota (from 1981 or 1982 to 1994); co-founder, Center on Women and Public Policy (1985) | | Candidacy | DFL candidate for lieutenant governor, 1986 | | Papers | Minnesota Historical Society, 1921–2015 | | Parent articles | [[DFL Feminists]] · [[At Issue - Minnesota's Feminist Regime]] · [[How Minnesota Got Here]] | **Arvonne Fraser** (1925–2018) was a Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party officer and women's-rights advocate who held federal posts under Presidents Carter and Clinton. The Minnesota Historical Society's finding aid for her papers states that their "major strengths" lie in "its documentation of women's issues in the latter part of the twentieth century", including her leadership of feminist organizations and her role in "American policy aimed at improving the status of women and girls in the United States and developing countries."[^1] The *Boston Globe*'s obituary describes her as having helped found, and held "top positions in the Women's Equity Action League".[^2] This article is a child of [[DFL Feminists]], which treats the DFL's feminist officials, and of [[At Issue - Minnesota's Feminist Regime]], the instrument ledger of the [[How Minnesota Got Here]] series. Fraser held no elected state office; her record in the series is one of party office, federal and international appointments, and academic work on women's rights.[^1][^3] ## Party offices The finding aid's chronology records that she was "Secretary, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party State Chairman" from 1948 to 1951, "Editor, DFL News" from 1954 to 1956, and "Vice Chairman, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party" from 1956 to 1962.[^1] From 1963 to 1976 she worked on the staff of Congressman Donald M. Fraser, her husband, and managed his campaigns.[^1][^2] The state's historical encyclopedia lists her as a longtime member of the DFL Feminist Caucus.[^3] ## The Women's Equity Action League The chronology lists her as vice president and legislative chairperson of the Women's Equity Action League in 1971–1972, organizer and first president of its National Capitol Chapter in 1971–1973, and "President, WEAL" from 1972 to 1974.[^1] The *Globe* gives the same presidency.[^2] As WEAL's president she testified on October 17, 1973 before the Senate's education subcommittee, in an exchange with Senator Walter Mondale, in support of the Women's Educational Equity Act; her statement said that "Sexism, to us, simply means the characterizing, defining, or stereotyping of individuals by sex."[^4] In a 2001 interview she described WEAL as having been "the prime movers in getting Title IX" of the education amendments passed.[^5] In 1974 and 1978 she was a "U.S. Delegation Member, U.N. Commission on the Status of Women", and in 1975 a delegation member to the International Women's Year Conference in Mexico City.[^1] In 1976 she was "Director, Intern Program, WEAL Education and Legal Defense Fund", and the chronology lists her as a member of U.S. delegations to UNESCO from 1977 to 1979 and to the 1980 "U.N. Decade for Women World Conference, Copenhagen".[^1] ## Federal and international posts **The Carter administration.** After serving in 1976 as a "Regional Coordinator, Carter/Mondale Presidential Campaign", she was a "Counselor, Office of Presidential Personnel, The White House" from January to April 1977 and then, from 1977 to 1981, "Coordinator, Office of Women in Development, U.S. Agency for International Development."[^1] A State Department memorandum of January 1979, printed in the department's documentary history, states that she "is promoting several projects which address the need for increasing the data base on the status of women in developing countries."[^6] The University of Minnesota's 2007 award citation records the same post, as "coordinator of the Office of Women in Development at the U.S. Agency for International Development."[^7] A University of Minnesota News Service release of July 1977 announced a campus talk by Fraser as AID's "coordinator for women in development".[^8] In her 2001 interview she recalled that during the transition she was "asked to find women appointees for the Carter administration".[^5] **The Clinton administration.** On October 26, 1993, the White House announced the President's "intention to appoint Arvonne S. Fraser as U.S. Representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women."[^9] The finding aid's chronology gives her service as "U.S. Ambassador, U.N. Commission on the Status of Women" from 1992 to 1994.[^1] In 2001 she said that the post "held the rank of ambassador" and dated her service to 1993 and 1994.[^5] ## The Humphrey Institute and IWRAW The finding aid records that from 1982 she was "Senior Fellow and Program Director, Women, Public Policy and Development Project, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs".[^1] The Humphrey School's notice of her death states that she "joined the Humphrey School in 1982 as a senior fellow" and was a co-founder of its Center on Women and Public Policy; the university's award citation dates her fellowship "from 1981 to 1994."[^10][^7] Her own account was that Harlan Cleveland, the institute's new dean, invited her to join its senior fellows, and that "this would be the fall of 1981".[^5] The center's history states that it was founded in 1985, co-founded by Fraser and Professor Barbara J. Nelson, and lists the two as its leaders from 1985 to 1994.[^11] The Humphrey School describes the center, now the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy, as "the nation's first complete teaching, research" and outreach center devoted to women and public policy; an Associated Press account of 2018 likewise calls her a co-founder of the school's center.[^10][^12] The Humphrey School dates the International Women's Rights Action Watch, which "she founded in 1985", and the finding aid lists her as its codirector in 1986; the University of Texas's human-rights center describes her as "a founder and former director" of it.[^10][^1][^13] In 2001 she said she organized the project with colleagues at Columbia University to publicize the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.[^5] Cleveland, in a 1996 oral history, said that Fraser "became a worldwide coordinator of the women's movement" in its work on U.N. treaties.[^14] ## The 1986 candidacy In 1986 St. Paul Mayor George Latimer chose Fraser as his running mate in the DFL primary for governor; the encyclopedia's 2018 and current texts both call her a "longtime member" of the caucus and record that the ticket was not successful.[^3][^15] She recalled in 2001 that "Latimer asked me to run for lieutenant governor".[^5] The finding aid lists her that year as "DFL Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota."[^1] In 1987 she was a member of the board of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.[^1] She died on August 7, 2018.[^1][^10] ## Record and readings **Reading one.** On the reading set out in [[DFL Feminists]], Fraser is a link between the Minnesota caucus and federal and international policy: a DFL officer from the late 1940s, a caucus member, the head of a national women's-rights organization and the official who ran the federal office charged with women in development.[^1][^3][^6] **Reading two.** On the other reading, her posts were federal and academic rather than Minnesota instruments: no state statute bears her name as author, her one state candidacy lost, and her principal federal and U.N. posts were appointments by two Democratic presidents to offices that existed apart from Minnesota law.[^3][^9][^1] Neither reading is supported by a claim that she authored or administered any of the Minnesota instruments set out in [[At Issue - Minnesota's Feminist Regime]].[^1] ## Open items 1. **The U.N. commission dates.** The finding aid gives 1992–1994; the White House announcement is dated October 1993; her 2001 interview gives 1993 and 1994.[^1][^9][^5] 2. **The Humphrey fellowship.** The finding aid and the Humphrey School give 1982; the university's award citation and her 2001 interview give 1981.[^1][^10][^7][^5] 3. **IWRAW's founding.** The Humphrey School gives 1985; the finding aid lists her as codirector in 1986.[^10][^1] 4. **Her Minnesota role.** Her papers' Minnesota files, including any work with the women's council or commission, were not read.[^1] ## See also - [[DFL Feminists]] — parent article - [[Feminist Caucus of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] · [[Koryne Kaneski Horbal]] - [[At Issue - Minnesota's Feminist Regime]] · [[How Minnesota Got Here]] ## Notes [^1]: Minnesota Historical Society, "Arvonne S. Fraser papers" (finding aid 00034; 1921–2015, bulk 1970–1999, 85 boxes) — biographical chronology of her DFL, WEAL, White House, USAID, U.N. and Humphrey Institute positions, her 1986 candidacy and her death in 2018; scope note on women's organizations and policy. https://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00034.xml [^2]: Boston Globe (New York dateline), "Arvonne Fraser, strong voice on women's issues, dies at 92" (Aug. 14, 2018) — birth in Lamberton in 1925; DFL vice chairwoman 1956–1962; WEAL presidency; USAID Office of Women in Development; U.N. commission; 1986 race. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2018/08/14/arvonne-fraser-strong-voice-women-issues-dies/SBWuJ0leGesmU2Ej38LYBO/story.html [^3]: Cory Haala, "DFL Feminist Caucus," MNopedia (Minnesota Historical Society; first published Apr. 23, 2018, modified Apr. 22, 2025) — the 1971 report; April 1973 founding; principles and endorsement rule; members; lobbying; conflicts within the DFL; 1980s candidacies. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/group/dfl-feminist-caucus [^4]: *Women's Educational Equity Act of 1973*, Senate Subcommittee on Education hearings on S. 2518, 93rd Cong., 1st sess. (Oct. 17 and Nov. 9, 1973), FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis — statements of Arvonne Fraser, president of the Women's Equity Action League, and of Barbara Greene Kilberg for the National Women's Political Caucus. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/womens-educational-equity-act-1973-292/fulltext [^5]: University of Minnesota Sesquicentennial Diversity Project, *Interview with Arvonne Fraser*, by Ann M. Pflaum (Jan. 4, 2001), University Digital Conservancy transcript — her account of WEAL and Title IX, the 1977 search for women appointees, the USAID office, the Humphrey Institute from the fall of 1981, the women's-rights treaty project, the 1986 ticket and the U.N. commission in 1993–1994. https://conservancy.umn.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/0716a521-24c6-4082-b9db-c985133a1f8c/content [^6]: Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, vol. II, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, document 323 (memorandum, Jan. 1979) — meetings with Arvonne Fraser and others on women's rights in developing countries; her projects on the data base on women's status. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1977-80v02/d323 [^7]: University of Minnesota Awards & Honors, Outstanding Achievement Award, Arvonne S. Fraser (2007) — senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute "from 1981 to 1994"; coordinator of the Office of Women in Development at USAID; U.N. commission ambassador. https://uawards.umn.edu/node/2206 [^8]: University of Minnesota News Service, release of July 22, 1977 (the scan's OCR reads 1971; it sits among the service's July 1977 releases), announcing that Arvonne Fraser, coordinator for women in development at the U.S. Agency for International Development, would speak on the St. Paul campus on July 28. University Digital Conservancy scan. https://conservancy.umn.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/598c4d8b-a968-4199-8d04-df0a1d718fff/content [^9]: The American Presidency Project, "Nomination for Ambassadorial and United Nations Posts" (Oct. 26, 1993) — the President's "intention to appoint Arvonne S. Fraser as U.S. Representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women." https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/219462 [^10]: Humphrey School of Public Affairs, *Remembering Arvonne Fraser, women's rights advocate and Humphrey School fellow* (Aug. 9, 2018) — died Aug. 7, 2018, at 92; "joined the Humphrey School in 1982 as a senior fellow"; founded IWRAW in 1985. https://www.hhh.umn.edu/news/remembering-arvonne-fraser-womens-rights-advocate-and-humphrey-school-fellow [^11]: Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy, History page — describes the center as the nation's first comprehensive university research center on women and public policy, founded in 1985 and co-founded by Arvonne Fraser and Barbara J. Nelson, whom it lists as its leaders from 1985 to 1994. https://www.hhh.umn.edu/cwgpp/about/history [^12]: Associated Press, Fraser remembered as women's rights trailblazer (Aug. 9, 2018), in the Post-Bulletin (Rochester) roundup Around the state — her death at 92 at the family's St. Croix River retreat; her Humphrey School post; co-founder of the school's Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy. https://www.postbulletin.com/newsmd/around-the-state-fraser-remembered-as-womens-rights-trailblazer [^13]: University of Texas School of Law, Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, directory entry "Arvonne S. Fraser" — senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute from 1981 to 1994; founder and former director of the International Women's Rights Action Watch. https://law.utexas.edu/humanrights/directory/arvonne-s-fraser [^14]: *Interview with Harlan Cleveland*, by Warren Nishimoto, University of Hawai'i Presidents Oral History Project (interviews of January–April 1996; transcript 1998) — Cleveland on informal forums for treaty negotiators, an idea he says was later replicated in Minnesota on women's affairs, and on Arvonne Fraser's part in the women's movement's work on U.N. treaties. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/06664c59-9afe-47e1-a739-155aafc827a2/content [^15]: MinnPost (MNopedia partnership), "The formation of the DFL Party Feminist Caucus" (March 2024) — the 2018 MNopedia text naming six co-founders besides Horbal, frustration with both the DFL Women's Caucus and the MWPC, and "As of 2018, it remains an active organization." https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2024/03/the-formation-of-the-dfl-party-feminist-caucus/