Finding Aid of the Betty Hutchinson Wiser Papers, PC.1716

[Identification of item]. PC.1716, Betty Hutchinson Wiser Papers, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC, USA.

These are the personal papers of Betty H. Wiser stemming from her role in several civic and women's organizations and relating to her participation in and interest in the political process at the state and local level. Throughout the collection there are papers and publications of several organizations in which she was active and in which she held leadership positions. These, however, are not the official chapter records. The papers are composed of five series: Series I. League of Women Voters, 1951-1976, including five boxes of material concerning the national League and twenty-two boxes concerning the state League, along with a few local areas such as Wake County, Pitt County, and Lee County. Series 2. Wake County Council on Aging, 1974-1990, consisting of thirteen boxes. Series 3. Political Campaigns and Organizations, 1982-1990, consisting of seven boxes. Series 4. Council on Status of Women, 1981-1984, consisting of five boxes. Series 5. Council of Women's Organizations, 1972-1983, consisting of four boxes.

Chronological within series and subseries.

Betty Hutchinson Wiser (1931-2010) was born in Richland County, Ohio, to Roscoe David Hutchinson and Mary Louise Stine Hutchinson. She earned a BS degree from Ohio State University in 1954; an MS degree in Home Economics from Ohio State University in 1958; an MS degree in Sociology from North Carolina State University in 1961; and a doctorate degree in Adult Education from North Carolina State University in 1982. Early on Betty developed a love for traveling that began with 4H farm exchanges to Mexico and Italy. Between 1955-1957 she helped organize a girl's school in Northern Iraq where she met her future husband, Edward Hempstead Wiser, Ph.D, an agricultural engineer. They married in 1957 in Shelby, Ohio; subsequently, the couple moved to Raleigh, where they lived until 2007.Betty H. Wiser's professional background included working as a teacher and home economist and serving as president of the Retirement Planning Associates, Inc.; executive director of the Wake County Council on Aging, Inc.; director and founder of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Raleigh-Wake County; and director of Volunteer Training and Volunteer Services projects.Betty H. Wiser was active in the political affairs of her community, serving as a precinct chair for Wake County and as a member of the Wake County Unity Campaign Committee and the Democratic Women of Wake County. She served as a member of the General Assembly, 1985-1990 serving three terms as a Wake County legislator in the North Carolina House of Representatives. During her tenure in the General Assembly, she made significant contributions as chair of the Committee on Human Resources and as a member of several committees, including Appropriations; Pensions and Retirement; Rules, Appointments and the Calendar; and Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations. She was regarded as a expert on aging, caregiving, and health issues. Legislation sponsored by Mrs. Wiser included bills to expand benefits for poor children and pregnant women. She was defeated in the 1990 Democratic primary, after she joined in 1989, with a group dissident Democrats and Republicans headed by Rep. Joe Mavretic, to oust speaker of the House Liston Ramsey.Additionally, Betty H. Wiser served as president of the League of Women Voters of North Carolina and co-chair of the Osteoporosis Prevention Task Force of North Carolina, and as a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, American Business Women Association, American Association of University Women, Older Women's Leagues, North Carolina Adult Education Association, North Carolina Association of Aging, and North Carolina Senior Citizens Association. She also served in many capacities on numerous boards and commissions, including as Director of the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, Director of the North Carolina Conference for Social Services, and President of the North Carolina Council of Women's Organizations, and as a member of the North Carolina Council on the Status of Women, North Carolina Family Life Council, and the Capitol Planning Commission.While a resident of Wake County, Betty was an active member of the Unitarian Church in Raleigh. In 1991 she became Betty became the head of the Older Adult Health Branch in the N.C. Department of Health and Human Resources. In that capacity she initiated and co-chaired the Osteoporosis Coalition of North Carolina. At the time of her death, Betty was serving as co-chair of the Osteoporosis Prevention Task Force of NC, as a senator in the Silver Haired Congress and as an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma. Betty H. Wiser was married for over fifty-two years to Edward, who passed away also in 2010. At that time the Wisers were living in Falls Church, Virginia. Mrs. Wiser died while on vacation in the Bahamas on February 18, 2010 doing what she loved - traveling and meeting new people. The Wisers were survived by daughter, Carla W. Lounsbury; son, Conrad Wiser; and six grandchildren; and two brothers, Samuel and David Hutchinson.

1. League of Women Voters, 1951-1976

2. Wake County Council on Aging, 1974-1990

3. Council of Women's Organizations, 1972-1983

4. Council on Status of Women, 1981-1984

5. Political Campaigns and Organizations, 1982-1990

Wiser, Betty H. (Betty Hutchinson)

National League of Women Voters (U.S.).

North Carolina Council for Women.

North Carolina Council on the Status of Women.

North Carolina League of Women Voters.

Wake County (N.C.).

Wake County Council on Aging.

Wake County Resources for Seniors, Inc.

Aging

Political campaigns

Political participation--North Carolina

Politicians--North Carolina--Correspondence

Politics and culture

Voting--North Carolina

Women politicians--North Carolina

Women--20th century.

Women--North Carolina--Societies and clubs

Women--Political activity--North Carolina--History--20th century

Arrangement of a portion of these papers was completed by several graduate students in the N.C. State University Public History program in the 1990s, under the supervision of George Stevenson. Additional processing has been done by Fran Tracy-Walls, with the assistance of volunteer, Steven Lord, beginning in 2014. Finding aid prepared by Fran Tracy-Walls, 2015.