Organizational History
In 1972, Terri P. Tepper, cofounder and director of the Center for a Woman’s Own Name, petitioned the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois to change her surname and to recognize Ms. as a legal title. The petition was granted, making Tepper the first woman in Illinois to regain her chosen name after marriage and marking the first time the State of Illinois recognized Ms. as a legally designated title. The material in this collection relates to Tepper's name change petition and the creation of the Center for a Woman’s Own Name and contains only passing references to the legal recognition of Ms.
The Center for a Woman’s Own Name began informally in 1973 when Tepper placed an advertisement in Ms. magazine seeking information on state law and policies relating to women’s names. The Center was incorporated later that year, with Tepper as director and president; Priscilla Ruth MacDougall as director, vice president, and legal consultant; and Diana Altman as director. The Center developed into a clearinghouse for information concerning state laws, lawsuits, and various legal and social issues relating to women’s efforts to retain their chosen name after marriage. The Center did not advocate that women retain their maiden names after marriage; instead, the Center maintained that women had a right to determine their legal name irrespective of their marital status.
Through a network of volunteers, the Center tracked legal opinions and on-going lawsuits on a state-by-state basis. With correspondence from the general public, prominent individuals, national organizations, and government officials, the collection’s strength lies in its ability to document the evolving societal attitudes and legal opinions around the name issue as well as individual and institutional responses to women maintaining their own names after marriage.
Biographical Note
Terri P. Tepper
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1942, May 29 | Born Denver, Colo. |
| 1964 | B.S., education, Boston University, Boston, Mass. |
| 1964, Aug. 23 | Married Lawrence Jay Weiner |
| 1964-1970 | Elementary school teacher, Barrington, Ill. and Chicago, Ill. |
| 1972 | In re Weiner |
| 1973 | President, National Organization for Women. North Suburban Chicago Chapter, Techny, Ill. |
| 1973 | Outstanding Achievement award, National Organization for Women. North Suburban Chicago Chapter, Techny, Ill. |
| 1973-1984 | Founder, president, and director, Center for a Woman’s Own Name, Barrington, Ill. |
| 1974 | Published with Diana Altman and Priscilla Ruth MacDougall Booklet for Women Who Wish to Determine Their Own Names After Marriage. Center for a Woman’s Own Name: Barrington, Ill. |
| 1976-1984 | Founder and director, Consumer Credit Project, Barrington, Ill. |
| 1980 | Published with Nona Dawe Tepper, The New Entrepreneurs: Women Working from Home. New York: Universe Books |
| 1981 | B.A., photography, Columbia College, Chicago, Ill. |
| 1982 | One-woman photography exhibition, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Ill. |
| 1984-1985 | President, Illinois Council on Home Based Enterprise |
| 2007- | Trainer and owner, The Cultivated Canine, Barrington, Ill. |