Nancy Gomes Papers
Scope and Contents
The papers document two aspects of Ms. Gomes public life: her service on the Washoe County School Board, 1972-1976, and educational issues; and her election and service on the Nevada State Assembly, 1976-1978. There are also a few files related to other interests of Ms. Gomes'; they are filed in Series Three.
Series 1 concerns the Washoe County School Board and includes materials created during Gomes' election campaign, issues brought before the school board, pupil achievement reports, law suits involving the school board, urban Indian education, and miscellaneous reports on children and education. There is also some correspondence about the naming of the Nancy Gomes Elementary School.
The political materials in Series 2 include campaign materials; documents on issues brought before the legislature, especially welfare reform and women's concerns; correspondence; reports; and folders on the election of Maya Miller and Barbara Bennett. There is also some material related to the State Democratic Party.
Series 3 consists of miscellaneous files on Women Associates - a Consulting Firm, the Center for Religious Life, volunteerism, a contract with Clark County to investigate welfare problems, and research papers for a Women in Politics class taught by Gomes and Faun Dixon in 1978.
Dates
- 1965-1978
Creator
- Gomes, Nancy, 1926-1979 (Creator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Materials must be used on-site; advance notice suggested. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Biographical Note
Nancy Gomes was born in Nevada in 1926. She received a B.A. from the University of Nevada in 1948 and studied social service administration at the University of Chicago graduate school.
Gomes worked as a social worker for the State of Nevada and Catholic Welfare agency and as a welfare consultant. From 1967-1968 she founded and directed the Foster Grandparent Program in Reno, and was deputy director of the Washoe County Office of Economic Opportunity from 1968-1970. She initiated and lobbied for state legislation on public assistance, child welfare, adoption reform, and the initial Nevada Juvenile Code; and was the author of publications on those issues.
Gomes was a member of the Washoe County School Board from 1972-1976. Beginning in 1973 she served as the treasurer of the State Democratic Party Central Committee. In 1976 she ran and was elected to the Nevada State Assembly for District 24. Gomes filed for re-election in 1978 but withdrew her name from the ballot because of poor health.
Gomes was active in the League of Women Voters and served as president of the League for one term. She was also active with the Counties Blue Ribbon Task Force, the Center for Religious Life, and Women's Associates, a Consulting Firm. An elementary school in Cold Springs was named for her.
Nancy Gomes died in 1979.
Extent
2 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Nancy Gomes (1926-1979) was a member of the Washoe County (Nevada) Board of Education, 1972-1976; and the Nevada State Assembly, 1976-1978 where she initiated legislation on public assistance, child welfare, adoption reform, and the initial Nevada juvenile code. Gomes was active in the League of Women Voters, the Center for Religious Life, and Women's Associates, a Consulting Firm. The collection documents two aspects of Ms. Gomes public life: her service on the Washoe County School Board, 1972-1976, and educational issues; and her election and service on the Nevada State Assembly, 1976-1978. There are also a few files related to other interests of Ms. Gomes'.
Arrangement
Arranged into the following series: 1) School Board and Education; 2) Politics; 3) Other Activities
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by John Gomes in 1993.
A Part of
Nevada women's archives.
- Bennett, Barbara, 1923-1993
- Center for Religion and Life
- Education -- Nevada
- Equal rights amendments -- Nevada
- Gomes, Nancy, 1926-1979
- Law materials
- Miller, Maya
- Public welfare -- Law and legislation -- Nevada
- Schools -- Nevada -- Washoe County
- Women -- Political activity -- Nevada
- Women Associates -- A Consulting Firm
- Women's rights -- Nevada
Creator
- Gomes, Nancy, 1926-1979 (Creator, Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Nancy Gomes Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Susan Searcy
- Date
- May 1993
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Nevada, Reno. Special Collections Department Repository
Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
1664 N. Virginia St.
Reno Nevada 89557-0322 USA
775-682-5665
775-682-5724 (Fax)
specoll@unr.edu