The Charlotte P. Hutchison papers date from 1973 to 2004 and measure 7.5 linear inches in 2 boxes. The papers are arranged in three series: Biographical (1964-2018), Anti-War and Anti-Nuclear Activism (1974-2005), and Community Reform (1979-1994). The first series consists of biographical material that speaks to Hutchison’s activism, as well as detailed notes that Hutchison took at various talks and events, such as a conference on the Iowa court system and a forum in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Anti-War and Anti-Nuclear Activism series includes the “Statement of Position” that Hutchison and other shareholders and environmentalist groups submitted to the Iowa State Commerce Commission in 1976 in order to challenge Iowa Power and Light Company’s (now MidAmerican Energy) plans to build a nuclear power plant in Jasper County, Iowa. Hutchison also wrote a personal reflection on how her Quaker values informed her opposition to the power plant. The material on nuclear war and disarmament includes pamphlets, newsletters, magazines, and newspaper clippings on related topics; Hutchison’s notes on related events, such as a debate on national security organized by the League of Women Voters of Iowa; and Hutchison’s correspondence with senators and other government officials. A significant amount of material relates to efforts to pass the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in the late 1990s. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) material includes notes, correspondence, and newsletters, as well as material related to the Des Moines branch’s early history and activities. There is also documentation of the planning and holding of a WILPF National Congress meeting in Madison, Wisconsin in 1989; members of the Des Moines branch of WILPF presented a workshop on nonviolent civil disobedience.

The Community Reform series documents Hutchison’s participation in efforts to combat issues like sexism, racism, and police violence on a local level. In the early 1990s, Des Moines community members and organizations considered options for creating a citizen review board to address police misconduct. The discussions were at least partly inspired by a 1991 case in which Des Moines police were accused of using excessive force against an African American man during his arrest. The citizen review board material includes research into citizen review boards in other locations; correspondence, meeting notes, and other material produced by organizations involved in these discussions, such as the League of Women Voters and Coalition for Justice; and newspaper clippings related to the 1991 misconduct case and racism on a local and national level. This series also documents Hutchison’s work organizing a state-wide conference called “Alternatives to Imprisonment" in 1979. Conference material includes a draft of the grant proposal submitted to the Iowa Humanities Program; meeting minutes and correspondence for the planning committee; and a schedule, program, and notes from the conference. Also included are newspaper clippings, reports, and correspondence related to incarceration in Iowa, including the experience of female prisoners. This series also contains material related to the planning, execution, and evaluation of “Unlearning Racism/Sexism” workshops organized by Hutchison and WILPF. The workshops were led by Kesho Y. Scott, Ph.D., an Iowa-based sociologist, writer, and public speaker with extensive experience leading cultural competency workshops. Material of interest includes correspondence and notes related to the WILPF planning committee, details regarding the workshop program, and feedback from participants.