Michigan's Con-Con 11: Women and State Constitution-making in 1961

by Lynn Liberato

Michigan’s Con-Con 11 highlights the contributions of the eleven female delegates to the 1961–1962 Michigan Constitutional Convention. As the first female delegates to a state of Michigan constitutional convention, these pioneers demonstrated that women were more than capable of helping to revise Michigan’s highest law. Their examples encouraged other women to enter politics during a time when few women held state or federal public office. Following the women’s Con-Con journey over seven and a half months, the book offers a general overview of what a state constitutional convention is and what it means to be a delegate. Michigan’s Con-Con 11 both educates the reader on constitution-making and sheds new light on an exciting moment in Michigan political history.

223 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2025

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this incredible exploration of the eleven female delegates at the 1961-1962 Michigan Constitutional Convention, Lynn Liberato delves into their contributions to the convention and how they inspired other women to enter politics when few women held public office at any level. Following their work at the convention over seven and a half months, Liberato offers an overview of state constitutional conventions, what it means to be a delegate at such conventions, and how these eleven women helped reshape Michigan. Fascinating and insightful, this book mixes personal narratives with political development, and the depth of detail and research really brings the narrative to life. Liberato concisely and critically explains state constitutional conventions while highlighting the specific nuances of this particular convention. The book is informative without being dense, and readers will appreciate the human element that these eleven women bring to this political history title. Perfect for historians from a variety of disciplines, readers will love the depth of detail Liberato goes into about this convention, and the contextualizing information adds a lot of nuance to the readers’ understanding of the 1960s and this particular convention, making this a brilliantly written and incredibly informative new women’s political history book readers didn’t realize they needed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Michigan State University Press for the advance copy.