We’ve added another online resource to the tools for researching legislative history! You can find our Legislative Bill Files collection files here.
We owe a big thanks to our partners on this project. When we started, there was only one good quality original of the bill files, and they were on microfilm. Our partners at the Arizona House of Representatives, the Arizona State Senate, and the State Archives provided access to the microfilm for digitizing. The Arizona Historical Society digitized them. Three years of grants from the federal Library Services & Technology Act, funded under the Institute of Museum & Library Services paid for the digitization. The above-and-beyond kindness and professionalism of the Historical Society, the House Clerk’s office, and the Senate Secretary’s office enabled the staff of the Research Library and the State Archives to complete the rest of the work in-house. They’ve been the best partners ever! We spent 3 years organizing the massive digitized files, making them keyword searchable, and uploading them onto the Arizona Memory Project. Whew!
Huh? What are bill files?
Most researchers of legislative history use the amazing legislative bill tracker to learn about what happened during the legislative process when a law was enacted. We do too!
But before seemingly everything was online, it was in print. In those days, the House and Senate would collect all the documents generated during the legislative process, organize them by bill number, and save them. Those were the bill files. To save space, they stored them on microfilm. (Great for preservation! But very inconvenient.) We decided to digitize all that microfilm and put it online for easier searching.
What’s in the bill files?
It varies, depending on the practice of each of the legislative chambers at the time. Typically, a bill file includes the introduced bill, amendments that passed, the version of the bill as it left each legislative chamber, and the votes. Sometimes a bill file includes staff summaries, fiscal analysis, or a legislator’s statement about the bill. They do not include committee minutes, but you can request House committee minutes from the State Archives and Senate committee minutes from the Senate Resource Center.
What years can I research?
The Senate started putting their bill files on microfilm in 1969. The House started in 1971. The collection includes the years from 1969 through 1996. After that, most documents are on the legislative bill tracker, a better and more convenient resource.
How do I use the collection?
To find the history of an Arizona statute, use an annotated edition of the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) and read the current statute. Scroll to the end and look for the “historical notes” or the “credits” that follow the language of the statute.
There you will find when the statute was added to A.R.S. and each time it was amended. Here’s an example:
The citations you are reading are Session Laws – the compilation of all the legislation enacted in that legislative session, in the order each measure was signed into law.
AMP Law CollectionSession LawsBill Number in Caption
Go to the Legislative Bill Files collection and scroll down to 1986. Select House bill files and scroll to HB 2518 and browse the documents. Then go back and do the same in Senate bill files. The documents will convey how the bill was changed through the legislative process, the aspects of the proposal that the legislators chose to amend, what the bill said when it left each legislative chamber, and whether the votes were close.
Why are we making a big deal out of this?
We’re so happy it’s finally ready for you! Here’s some data so you can be happy for us too:
• The bill files collection includes 27 years of legislative history, from 1969 through 1996.
• We digitized 456 reels of microfilm.
• Each microfilm reel had between 650 and 2700 images that we extracted by bill number.
• The collection has some 43,091 separate bills, resolutions, and memorials.
Helpful Links
State of Arizona Library, Archives & Public Records Ask a Question link
Arizona Memory Project, an online collection of collections. You can be an insider and call it AMP.
In celebration of Black History Month, we intended to write a blog post about Phoenix’s power couple from the early 20th century, Dr. Winston C. Hackett (prominent physician, Booker T. Washington Hospital founder) and Ayra Hackett (Arizona Gleam founder). As we did additional research into the Hacketts’ contributions, a name surfaced that sparked our interest: George S. Rodgers.
Who was this Mr. Rodgers who seemed to be a supporting presence in the both of the Hacketts’ successes? With the records available online from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and the valuable community information included in the Phoenix Tribune newspaper, we found that George Stephen Rodgers played a primary or supporting role in several organizations that were caring for and increasing opportunities for the Black community in Phoenix and across Arizona in the 1920s and later. In a time of segregation, discrimination, and hardship, members of the Black community rallied together. They used their expertise and financial resources to create opportunities and systems that would be accessible to and benefit the community. Read on to learn more about Mr. Rodgers and meet the people in Mr. Rodgers’ neighborhood with whom he accomplished great things!
Mr. Rodgers joins the neighborhood
Mr. Rodgers left Corsicana, Texas, and arrived in Phoenix in early 1920, as indicated in the local community newspaper, the Phoenix Tribune. Each successive week shows his immediate and increasing engagement with the community.
In addition to intellectual (Phoenix Literary Society) and social (Unique Club) pursuits when he first arrived as shown in the newspaper clips above, he demonstrated impressive business acumen. Within months of his arrival, he opened the People’s Garage & Blacksmith Shop. The Phoenix Tribune on August 14, 1920 hailed him as “among the most successful business men of our group in this city.”
Myrtle Rodgers was more than just a neighbor. She was Mr. Rodgers’ talented, community-focused wife. She was a beloved high school teacher and counselor at Phoenix Union High School for many years. We learn from the Phoenix Tribune that Mrs. Rodgers graduated from Fisk University with high honors and taught ancient history, English, and general science at the high school.
In addition to her passion and talent for teaching, she partnered with her husband and her husband’s sister, Callie D. Rodgers, to establish the Western Mutual Benefit Association on June 23, 1921. The articles of incorporation detail the nature of the business, which was to promote “social intercourse among its members, provide aid and assistance to its members in times of sickness and accident and distress and to promote generally the welfare of its members. Pecuniary profit is not the object of this Association.”
After the Western Mutual Benefit Association was organized, Mr. Rodgers traveled across Arizona to appoint local agents and spark interest in the insurance company from the Black community in cities such as Tucson and Prescott. The Phoenix Tribune declared in their August 6, 1921 issue that “every man, woman and child of our race in the state of Arizona should carry a policy in the Western Mutual Benefit Association.”
Obituary for Myrtle M. Rodgers, Arizona Republic, September 24, 1968
Frank L. Eckford—Reliable Loan and Investment Company, incorporated 1928
George Rodgers partnered with Frank L. Eckford to incorporate another company in the Phoenix area, the Reliable Loan and Investment Company. The articles of incorporation were filed on April 20, 1928. The document outlines the nature of the business which was to “do and perform any and all acts requisite and proper or necessary for the performance and carrying on of the business of a general loan association” and “to buy, sell, vote, handle, and deal in shares, bonds, stocks, indentures of other corporations…as well as this corporation.” Other members of the initial board included W.C. Hackett, Phillip Green, and A. C. Aldridge. The Phoenix Tribune anticipated the company would “fill a long felt need” in Phoenix’s Black community.
Dr. Hackett’s and Mr. Rodgers’ lives intertwined in personal, spiritual, and professional ways. Dr. Hackett was an accomplished physician and was granted a license to practice medicine and surgery in Arizona on March 22, 1913. On December 31, 1930, Dr. Hackett, his wife Ayra Hackett, and Mr. Rodgers filed articles of incorporation for the Booker T. Washington Hospital. The hospital had opened almost nine years earlier, according to the December 31, 1921 issue of the Phoenix Tribune. Grand opening festivities were to take place on January 5, 1922.
The year before the articles of incorporation for the hospital were filed, Ayra Hackett was making a unique and profound difference for the community. She founded the newspaper the Arizona Gleam in 1929. Her tenure as editor lasted only a handful of years, but her cause was taken up by family friend and business associate, George Rodgers. He became editor of the Arizona Gleam upon her death, and he “made the newspaper’s goals and stances even clearer. The paper’s slogan was changed to ‘Arizona’s premier race weekly;’ its editorial policy was outlined in each edition, and it promoted several key platforms, such as aiding African American businesses, encouraging African Americans to buy homes and create bank accounts, and fighting discrimination and prejudice.”1
John D. Washington—Phoenix Civic Welfare League, incorporated 1939
George Rodgers continued his commitment to community betterment when he joined John D. Washington and filed articles of incorporation on August 28, 1939 to establish the Phoenix Civic Welfare League. In addition to a focus on the general welfare of the community, the league also focused on the needs of the young people in Phoenix. Many organizations around Phoenix were listed as members.
His obituary in August 1978 mentioned a couple of his achievements, but there is much more to say about his impact on the community. In addition to the partnerships listed above, George Rodgers strove to do even more for the community. He unsuccessfully ran for the legislature at least twice, as a write-in candidate for legislative district #6 in 1926 and as a Republican party candidate in legislative district #8 in November 1950. His political ads provide a more thorough accounting of his extensive community engagement and service.
He and his wife Myrtle’s legacy of service was honored and continued by their daughter, Senoma Smith. That “charming little daughter, who was the idol of the home” back in 1920 lived a life that echoed and amplified the values and energy level of her parents. Mrs. Smith was recognized in 1985 at the South Mountain Business and Professional Woman’s Club as Woman of the Year and the following article captures many of her achievements.
Arizona Republic, February 6, 1985
Conclusion
George Rodgers and the people in his neighborhood partnered together to become more than the sum of their parts and accomplish great things for the Black community in Phoenix and all around Arizona. Their contributions were meaningful and substantial. We honor their memory and their legacy of service, and are grateful for the community newspapers, like the Phoenix Tribune, which captured the social, intellectual, business, family, and spiritual lives of the Black communities in Arizona so their stories can be discovered, recognized, and added to the complex history of Arizona and its people.
Notes
About the Arizona Gleam, Chronicling America. This title essay for this newspaper was written by University of Arizona Libraries, as part of their partnership with the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records for a National Digital Newspaper Program grant, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress)
We’ve all heard the expression “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Has 100 years changed the way Arizonans look for love and celebrate Valentine’s Day? We explored some of our State of Arizona Research Library collections to find out what love might have looked like back in the 1920s, specifically 1924—without online dating apps, rom-com stories, and bustling cities across the state.
Newspapers
Dances
Valentine’s Day dances, swanky country club events, and other less formal gatherings made headlines in 1924. The Arizona Republic on February 14, 1924 advertised a particularly intriguing dance held at Joyland, an amusement park located in Phoenix.
Arizona Republic on February 14, 1924
Let’s breakdown those event details: what are the similarities and differences between life then and now?
1924
2024
Ride to the event in a taxi
Take public transportation, a self-driving car like Waymo, or an app-based ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft
Jazz Hounds playing old favorites and the latest “good ones”
A DJ with a laptop and sound system with all types of music at their fingertips
Receive a Valentine at the door and some special prizes handed out on the dance floor
Show your ticket on your phone and receive a wristband and maybe a free drink ticket or some swag
Dancing until 1 am
Dancing until well past 1 am
Did the mention of fabulous giveaways in the article catch your attention? Are you wondering what a “Ge-Wak” is? So were we! We set out to do some additional research on this “latest thing in sensational Valentines” in 1924, but could not come to a conclusive answer. The newspaper may be spelling it phonetically to help readers pronounce it properly, but they also may have made a typographical or pronunciation error themselves. Since we know that jewelry and accessories are still popular gift items today, our best guesses so far are:
24 pieces of Art Deco guilloche enamel jewelry, like a pendant or a brooch
24 hair combs or other accessories carved from guaiac wood. Guaiac wood was often used in perfumes or burned as incense.
Were one of your ancestors one of the lucky recipients of a “Ge-Wak” or did you find one in a dusty box of treasures? Be aware that the giveaway items on the dance floor at Joyland were not always what we might consider reasonable today. Dances later that month included giveaways of 12 big, fat turkeys on one night and 25 Washington cherry trees on another. Put on your detective hat and let us know if you can solve the mystery!
Chocolates
Newspapers ads provide insight into other tokens of love and affection people might buy for each other at Valentine’s Day or year-round. In 1924, the Chocolate Shop in Ajo advertised their wide variety of “the finest of plain and nut chocolates and mixed candies,” available year-round and “always an acceptable gift” —in fact, they are still an acceptable gift today! Chocolate gifts abound at all times of year, but get fancier packaging for major holidays.
The greeting card game was going strong even 100 years ago. On February 1, 1924, the Winslow Mail noted that people spent $30,000,000 on greeting cards in a year in the United States. The newspaper also included another fun fact about the popularity of certain types of Valentine’s Day greeting cards. “To My Wife” valentines were more popular than “To My Husband” ones, but “To My Sweetheart” valentines sales outsold both of the others combined. Greeting cards are still quite popular today, although now we can choose to send heartfelt messages in electronic formats like texts filled with emojis, direct messaging on social platforms, and eCards (Winslow Mail, 1924-02-01, page 10, on AMP).
Movies
Couples today can go out to a theater showing multiple options of new and old releases, or easily use a streaming service at home to watch just about anything they’d like, including binge-watching television shows.
What if Arizonans in 1924 wanted to take a date to the movies? Options were limited. The first talking motion picture wasn’t released until 1927, but silent films were popular. On February 14, 1924, three silent film options were listed in the Tucson Daily Citizen. Radio broadcasting was in its infancy and television broadcasting was still in the experimental stages, so those weren’t viable options at that time.
(All 3 Movie Ads) Tucson Daily Citizen, February 14th, 1924
City Directories in the Arizona Collection
We focused our research next on the mining town of Bisbee to see what business and services were available to residents on Valentine’s Day. The business section of the 1924 Bisbee city directory lists 13 restaurants, six confectioneries, five bakeries, three moving picture theatres, two jewelers, and one florist shop.
Sanitation was a high priority for consumers and public health authorities in 1924, and businesses used ads to emphasize their cleanliness. You may have also noticed sanitation mentioned in The Chocolate Shop’s ad in the Ajo Copper News shown earlier. A look at the Arizona State Board of Health’s 1923-1924 biennial report in our State Publications Collection explains what fueled the sanitation concerns. According to the document, reported cases of typhoid fever and other communicable diseases were on the rise again in 1923 and 1924:
Instead of eating out at a sanitary restaurant, we wondered if Arizona residents might also have considered a Valentine’s Day staycation. If they couldn’t get a room in Hotel La More or some other hotel in town, they may have considered Hotel Naco because it was in a nearby town and its amenities included “bullet proof rooms”! Today, anyone interested in a restaurant, or a staycation can go online to read dozens or more reviews before making an informed decision and a reservation.
As the designated Regional Federal Depository Library for Arizona, we provide free access to government information and strive to assist researchers by guiding them to government information resources that may help answer their questions. How can government information help us know how love was different 100 years ago? We looked to the United States Bureau of the Census and its extensive population data.
The population of Arizona has increased more than 2,140% from 1920 to 2020:
The median age at first marriage in the United States has risen from roughly 24 years (men) and 21 years (women) in 1920 to about 30 years (men) and 28 years (women) in 2023. Although the chart below doesn’t provide information on how long those first marriages might last, the trend is that people now are staying single for longer before choosing a partner.
More people overall + more people staying single for longer = More opportunity to find “the one” (or the second or the third “one”…).
Valentine’s Day festivities and the search for love 100 years ago don’t look different from today at their core. Modern love amplifies and expands many of the same opportunities and experiences that 1924 Arizonans had, in ways they likely wouldn’t have anticipated at the time.
We’ll leave you with one last thought. A librarian’s work is definitely a labor of love. We know Arizona’s librarians 100 years ago were thinking of you because they worked diligently to collect and care for books, periodicals, reports, and more that would be of use to future researchers. Con Cronin, the Arizona State Law and Legislative Reference Librarian from 1915 – 1932, wrote in his 1922 – 1924 biennial report of his collection activities that would be “of inestimable value to future historians and writers on Arizona’s past.” We are grateful for the loving attention the collections received 100 years ago and for the current staff who expertly care for and grow the State of Arizona Research Library collections so they will be of value to future researchers today, a hundred years from now, and beyond. Happy Valentine’s Day, Arizona!
Resources
If you want to show us some love, explore our print and online collections, follow us on social media, join our free virtual events, and/or make an appointment to visit our Reading Room and use our onsite resources!
The Shining S.T.A.R.L. 