MSS 882 Izaak Walton League of America, Ohio Division Records

              Col l e c t i o n S y n o p s i s
MSS 882
l z a a k Walton League
o f America ( IWLA) -
Ohio D i v i s i o n Records
15 1 / 2 c u b i c f e e t
S t a n d a r d i n v e n t o r v
Provenance: The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y a c q u i r e d t h e i z a a k Walton
League o f America - Ohio D i v i s i o n Records as a g i f t o f t h e D i v i -
s i o n , t h r o u g h t h e a u s p i c e s o f t h e e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r , Edward W.
S c h e k e l h o f f , i n A p r i l 1985. R i c h a r d W . A r p i processed t h e c o l l e c -
t i o n i n August 1985.
P r o p e r t y r i g h t s : The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y owns t h e p r o p e r t y
r i g h t s t o t h i s c o l l e c t i o n .
C o p y r i g h t s : The Ohio D i v i s i o n , IhlLA, has d e d i c a t e d such c o p y -
r i g h t s as it possesses i n t h i s c o l l e c t i o n t o t h e p u b l i c . Consid-e
r a t i o n o f a l l o t h e r c o p y r i g h t s i s t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f t h e
a u t h o r and p u b l i s h e r .
Access: T h i s c o l l e c t i o n i s open under : he r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n s
o f t h e Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y .
C i t a t i o n : Researchers a r e r e q u e s t e d t o c i t e c o l l e c t i o n name,
c o l l e c t i o n number, and t h e Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y i n a l l f o o t n o t e
and b i b l i o g r a p h i c r e f e r e n c e s .
T r a n s f e r s : F i v e boxes o f p u b l i c a t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g Outdoor America,
t h e n a t i o n a l IWLA p u b l i c a t i o n , were t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e l i b r a r y i n
August 1985. i n a d d i t i o n , p h o t o g r a p h s were t r a n s f e r r e d t o SC 5233
and r e e l t o r e e l t a p e s ( 9 8 ) t o a u d i o c o l l e c t i o n 8 i n August 1985.
O r g a n i z a t i o n a l s k e t c h : F i f t y - f o u r men, concerned o v e r t h e c o n d i -
t i o n o f t h e n a t i o n ' s f i s h i n g streams and l a k e s , o r g a n i z e d t h e
i z a a k W a l t o n League o f America ( iWLA) on January 14, 1922, d u r i n g
a m e e t i n g a t t h e Chicago A t h l e t i c Club. The league named i t s e l f
a f t e r l z a a k Walton ( 1593- 16831, a u t h o r o f The Comoleat A n a l e r , and
e a r l y c o n s e r v a t i o n i s t . W h i l e t h e IWLA's o r i g i n a l i n t e r e s t l a y i n
m a i n t a i n i n g and i m p r o v i n g s p o r t f i s h i n g , t h e y soon l e a r n e d t h a t
good f i s h i n g and h u n t i n g were p r i m a r i l y b y - p r o d u c t s o f good s o i l
and w a t e r management. As a consequence, t h e IWLA became a b r o a d l y
based e n v i r o n m e n t a l o r g a n i z a t i o n as e v i d e n c e d i n t h e i r motto,
" Defenders o f S o i l , Woods, Waters, and W i l d l i f e . "
One o f t h e f i r s t v i c t o r i e s f o r t h e IWLA was t h e Upper M i s s i s s i p p i
W i l d l i f e and F i s h Refuge Act, s i g n e d by P r e s i d e n t C o o l i d g e on June
7, 1924. T h i s b i l l l e d t o t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f a f i s h and game
r e f u s e a l o n g a 300 m i l e s t r e t c h o f t h e l ~ l i s s i s s i p p i R i v e r from
Wabasha, Minnesota, t o Rock I s l a n d , I l l i n o i s . The IWLA a l s o h e l p -
ed i n t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f H o r i c o n Marsh i n W i s c o n s i n ( 1923- 1947);
c r e a t i o n o f t h e F e d e r a l E l k Refuge a t Jackson Hole, Wyoming ( 1924-
1927); t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f a n a t i o n - w i l e system o f m i g r a t o r y b i r d
r e f u s e s ( 1 9 2 9 ) ; and banning b l a c k bass s a l e s ( 1926- 1945).
OW10 HISTQRlCAL SOCIETY
1982 Velrna Avenue. Co: umbui. Oilio 43211- 2497 ph: 614.297.2300 Ix: 614.297.2411
www. ohiohistory. org