A Century of Suffrage: The History of Women as Voters -- This presentation will celebrate American women’s right to vote by tracing the milestones of the suffrage movement in the United States and Nebraska, leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. It will include information on women's participation as voters from the 1920 through 2020 elections.

Dr. Dianne Bystrom is director emerita of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University. She directed the center for 22 years before retiring in August 2018. She also founded Iowa State’s Leadership Studies Program and served as its director for 10 years. At Iowa State, she taught courses on women and politics, political campaigns, and women and leadership. Dr. Bystrom has contributed to 25 books—including the two-volume Women in the American Political System: An Encyclopedia of Women as Voters, Candidates, and Office Holders (2018); An Unprecedented Election: Media, Communication, and the Electorate in the 2016 Campaign (2018); and Gender and Elections: Shaping the Future of American Politics (2018, 2014, 2009 and 2006) as a co-author, co-editor or chapter author. She also has written journal articles on women and politics, youth voters and the Iowa caucus. Dr. Bystrom continues to serve as a speaker and commentator about political and women’s issues for community groups, professional organizations and the media. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kearney (NE) State College and a master’s degree in journalism and Ph.D. in communication, both from the University of Oklahoma.