Manitowoc County "new voter" certificate of electorship

Date

• May 21, 1939

Summary

• Certificate awarded to "Neil Hanson" [i.e. Neil E. Hansen] during Citizenship Day ceremonies in Manitowoc, Wisconsin on May 21, 1939. Citizenship Day was organized in Manitowoc County to recognize young people who reached the voting age of 21 and residents who were naturalized during the preceding year. It was intended to increase the participation of citizens in government by providing education for young people as they became eligible to vote. At the first Citizenship Day in 1939 more than 700 young men and women from the county were inducted into the status of "functioning citizens." Citizenship Day, known as the "Manitowoc Plan," gained national attention and there were efforts to establish it as a national holiday. Under the leadership of a Young Citizens Council, Citizenship Day continued to be observed in Manitowoc County throughout the World War II years but the emphasis changed from a parade and outdoor ceremony to banquets honoring new voters. The last celebration of Citizenship Day was in 1951 and featured an afternoon program and evening dance at Silver Lake Resort. Dimensions of this certificate are 11" x 8.5". Several other communities including Milwaukee, Wisconsin, claimed to have held Citizenship Days prior to 1939, but in most accounts Manitowoc County was generally credited with the idea.