Skip to main content

Search the Special Collections and Archives Portal

Cynthia Cunningham Papers (MS-00277)

Abstract

The Cynthia Cunningham Papers date from 1970 to 1979 and document Cunningham's career as an English instructor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and as a member of the Nevada State of Board of Education. Included are Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) materials, audio tapes, posters, newspaper clippings, survey results, and reports that explore the issue of gender bias in schools. Materials on the Health Systems Agency contain organization by-laws, memberships, agendas, minutes, correspondence, and publications.

Finding Aid PDF

Date

1970-1979

Extent

1.48 Cubic Feet (4 boxes)
1.67 Linear Feet

Related People/Corporations

Scope and Contents Note

The Cynthia Cunningham Papers (1970-1979) document Cunningham's career as an English instructor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and as a member of the Nevada State of Board of Education. Inluded are Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) materials, audio tapes, posters, and newspaper clippings, survey results, and reports that explore the issue of gender bias in schools. Materials on the Health Systems Agency contain organization by-laws, memberships, agendas, minutes, correspondences, and publications. Miscellaneous items are composed of business cards and a ticket to a 1966 Service League of Las Vegas event belonging to Cynthia's husband Harold Cunningham.

Access Note

This collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.

Arrangement

Collection remains in original order.

Biographical / Historical Note

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) English instructor Cynthia Cunningham was born January 21, 1929 in El Paso, Texas. She received her B.A. in English from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces in 1949 and her M.A. in English from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1968. She was an English instructor at UNLV from 1968 to 1971.

Cunningham served on the Nevada State of Board of Education from 1971 to 1979, and was elected as a Democrat for the Nevada Assembly District 8 in 1976. She was active in numerous organizations including the American Association of University Women, Nevadans for the Equal Rights Amendment, Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada, a Red Cross volunteer, and a sustaining member of Junior League of Las Vegas. Cunningham was a founder of Young Audiences, Inc. of Las Vegas, Nevada and served as this organization's president from 1962 to 1964. She was also a member of the Health Systems Agency, located in the District Health Center in Las Vegas, to provide a meeting place for persons interested in the improvement of the medical services to the Clark County area. of member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Her husband, Harold Cunningham, retired as president from Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company. After living in Las Vegas for thirty-four years, the Cunninghams relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1986. Cynthia Cunningham passed away in Albuquerque, New Mexico on January 13, 1988.

Preferred Citation

Cynthia Cunningham Papers, 1970-1979. MS-00277, Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Acquisition Note

Materials were donated in 1979 by Cynthia Cunningham; accession number 87-036.

Processing Note

Material was processed in 1995 by Marie Imus. In 2017 Joyce Moore revised and enhanced the collection to bring it into compliance with current professional standards.

Resource Type

Papers

Collection Type

EAD ID

US::NvLN::MS00277

Separated Materials

Some of the publications that were acquired as part of this collection have been separated and described individually in the University Libraries catalog.

Finding Aid Description Rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard
English