Lamplighters 1971-1980

Kansas State Council Presidents 1970-1980

Maxine Koerner 1970-71

Anne (Fields) Langenfeld 1971-1972

"The Key to Tomorrow is Today"

The Dawning of A Great
New Day"

News & Views

Jean Wells 1972-1973

Betty Spicer 1973-1974

"ESA in Panorama"

"Silhouettes of ESA"

News & Views

Dorothy Keenan 1974-1975

Mary Daniels 1975-1976

"Share the Bouguet From Your
Garden of ESA"

News & Views

"Jeweled Harmony - Our ESA Heritage"

News & Views

Florence Ellis 1976-1977

Joan Friend 1977- 1978

"ESA in God's Wonderful World"

"Beyond a Dream ... Circles of ESA- Love, Hope, Friendship & Giving"
Joan Friend was elected IC President for 1989-1990 with a theme of
"ESA Memories Opens Doors"

News & Views

Opal Regier 1978-1979

"The Reality of Sisterhood in ESA"

News & Views

Joyce Marrs 1979-1980

"Take Time"

News & Views

POWER OF THE DREAM
“Our ESA lives in America”
History of ESA and ESA in Kansas

(The 1970s)
The nation was still reeling from the assassinations of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Robert Kennedy as we began the 1970s. President Johnson had taken America into the “Great Society” and the disastrous Vietnam War. It will be a harsh time for Americans as they struggle with our involvement in an unpopular war. Joan Baez was singing folk songs with lyrics of protest against social injustice and students will be killed at Kent State protesting the war. Nixon will be elected in 1968, get America out of the Vietnam War, open diplomatic relations with China, and bring the office of the presidency to disgrace because of Watergate in his second term. America was emotionally wounded during these years.

The great ladies that led the Kansas State Council in the 1 970s were Lorita Von Niederhausern, Maxine McKeever, Anne Langenfeld, Jean Wells, Betty Spicer Hawkins, Dotty Keenan, Mary Daniels, Florence Ellis, Joan Friend and Opal Regier.

ESA will meet Danny Thomas in 1970 and make him an honorary member. This will be the beginning of a long love affair between Danny, St. Jude, and ESA. In 1972, IC will adopt St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and pledge to raise a million dollars. We will reach that goal in four years. Remember the Million Dollar Bike Rides? Our own (Jeri Benton will assist IC with these bike rides and ESA will be featured on the Mike Douglas show.

Significantly, IC President Barbara Skorney urges us to “make ESA relevant for the modem woman.” This was the year that ESA coordinated its first nationwide project: A POW-MIA letter writing campaign to free Viet Nam prisoners of war. Over one million letters will be sent by members.

Firsts for ESA in the 70s included the addition of the Association of the Arts and the Certified Leadership Training Seminars.

Armstrong and Aldrin will be a bright spot as Neil Armstrong will become the first man to set foot on the moon. The space race was in full swing. International Relations improved with the Camp David Accords being a genuine breakthrough for Middle East diplomacy but the Ayatollah will hold American embassy people hostage for a year and Reagan will defeat Carter in 1980.

As ESA begins to prepare for the “Spirit of 76” - Bicentennial celebration, ground is broken on the ESA World Center. The ribbon cutting will be held in 1976 but the building will be sold in 1978. Although it had a rocky start the ESA Foundation will receive its 501 C 3 recognition from the IRS in 1971. It was led by Irene Ramsey from Wichita, Kansas that year as Chairman of the Board. The Foundation will establish the Women Helping Women, ADAPT, and the Scholarship Program will get a slow beginning in the 70s.

1979 will mark 50 years of ESA and the Golden Jubilee with 1600 chapters and 25,000 members. This same year Kansas ESA members receive the Martin F. Palmer award presented by the Institute of Logopedics for outstanding service and contributions given through concern for communicatively handicapped children and adults. At this point in time our members had contributed well over a half million dollars in money and gifts in kind to the Institute.

ESA will turn into a worldwide sisterhood, spreading too many corners of the globe over the years. Chapters in 15 countries have come and gone with only Australia remaining as our international link where there are 30 chapters today. The last international chapters were established in the 70s in New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Mexico, and Scotland. These chapters were preceded by chapters formed in Canada, Holland, England, Scotland, Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii (pre-statehood), West Germany, Denmark, Guam, Peru, and Australia..

IC Presidents