HARRY D. HARPER, M.D. - Chairman, Fort Madison
LAWRENCE S. SLOTSKY - Vice chairman, Sioux City
DONALD E. BOLES, Ph.D. - Commissioner, Ames
MERLE F. (Mrs. Elliott) FULL - Commissioner, Iowa City
JUNE P. (Mrs. M. E.) GOLDMAN - Commissioner, Forest City
REV. PHILIP A. HAMILTON, Ph.D. - Commissioner, Dubuque
ELIZABETH (Mrs. David) KRUIDENIER - Commissioner, Des Moines

Executive Director: DAVID L. MULLIN

Office Address:

1209 East Court Ave.

Suites 304 & 306

Des Moines, IA

Mailing Address :

State Capitol Building

Des Moines, IA 50319

Telephone: 281-5129 (Area Code 515)

Reporting Requirements

This third annual report of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission is submitted to the governor, the general assembly, and the general public as a comprehensive public-educational document designed to satisfy the commission's reporting requirements (as set forth at Chap. 105A.5, 1966 Code of Iowa). These requirements are (a) to report at least annually to the governor and general assembly on the commission's "proceedings, investigations, hearings conducted and the outcome thereof, decisions rendered, and the other work performed by the commission;" and M to issue "such publications and reports of investigations and research as in the judgement of the commission shall tend to promote good will among the various racial, religious, and ethnic groups of the state and which shall tend to minimize or eliminate discrimination."

As a matter of policy, the commission issues its annual report in January. This report covers the work of the commission for the period from December 1, 1967 to November 30, 1968 (thus allowing the month of December for preparation of the report).

The Commission Structure

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission is a state agency which was established in 1965 to enforce the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965. By the terms of that act, the commission has two major responsibilities: (a) to conduct public educational programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural and intergroup tensions; and (b) to resolve complaints of alleged discriminatory practices. The amended act prohibits discrimination in matters of employment; housing; public accommodations; and intimidation designed to lead to discrimination in employment, in housing, or in places of public accommodations.

The commission consists of seven members appointed to staggered (and renewable) four-year terms by the governor, subject to confirmation by the senate. No more than four commissioners can belong to one political party. They serve without compensation, but are reimbursed for necessary travel and other expenses incurred while on official commission business.

(All seven commissioners were original appointees in 1965. Three commissioners -Harper, Kruidenier, and Slotsky -- were appointed to two-year terms then; and were reappointed in 1967 to full four-year terms which expire on June 30, 1971. The terms of the four commissioners -- Boles, Full, Goldman, and Hamilton -- appointed to four-year terms in 1965 expire on June 30, 1969.)

Commission officers are chosen by majority vote of the commissioners, and serve for one year. Officers presently are elected in June, with the terms of office corresponding with the fiscal year.

(Doctor Harper was elected chairman of the commission in June, 1968, and will serve until June 30, 1969. He succeeded Mrs. Full, who had been chairman since November of 1966.)

The commissioners, as the policy-making body, rely on a paid professional staff for administration of commission policies and programs which are formulated in regular meetings (held at least monthly). Close commissioner-staff contact is maintained throughout the month with individual commissioners being assigned regularly by the chairman to work with staff members on individual compliance investigations and on major publications. Moreover, a staff memorandum detailing the week's activities by the staff is sent to the commissioners on each Friday.

The $85,000 annual budget for this biennium made it possible to increase the size of the permanent staff from three to eight -- to include now an executive director, a research-and-education director, a compliance director, two field investigators, and three secretaries. In addition, a special-project director and secretary were added to the staff for one year (starting September 1, 1968) to administer an affirmative action employment project funded in the amount of $16,150 by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (E.E.O.C.).

(David Mullin was named executive director in March of 1968; following the resignation of James Thomas, the original director, who assumed a high position with the federal E.E.O.C. Mullin -- who joined the staff as a field investigator on November 14, 1966 -- had been the compliance director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission since August 1, 1967.)