About The League:

Although League of Women Voters nationally was started as an outgrowth of the women's suffrage movement, Johnson County did not have a "local" League until 1952, when Johnson County was in transition from a rural to an urban community. In a county made up of thirteen second and third class cities and two townships, the Shawnee Mission High School District was the only unifying governmental unit in northeast Johnson County.  For twenty years the name of the local League was League of Women Voters of Shawnee Mission. In 1972 the name was changed to League of Women Voters of Johnson County to better represent all League members and in recognition of County government as the one entity that represents all of Johnson County. There are 22 separate, first, second, and third class, incorporated cities.

The first League studies proposed in 1952:  A study of the school system; The Urban Township Plan; Publication of the survey "Know Your Town Government"; and a study of the assessment procedures on personal property taxes, were combined into a single topic "A Study of Urban Township Government." The first League Day at the Legislature was held in February 1953.