Ethel Ina Untermyer papers

Biographical/Historical note

Ethel Ina Untermyer (1925 – 2009) was a deaf education advocate, social reformer, poet, and the leader in the quest to found a forest preserve district in Lake County. Untermyer (nee Kotal) was born in Chicago in 1925. She moved to Lake County with her husband and children in the mid-1950s. In 1957, Untermyer organized a countywide referendum to create the Lake County Forest Preserve District. Lake County's population hadn't even reached 300,000, but people were already worrying about the loss of open space. Untermyer spoke to groups, sought out local leaders, and got a quick education in politics. The referendum passed with an overwhelming 60 percent of votes. A citizens' advisory committee was created, and Ethel Untermyer was named its chair. Through the years, Untermyer was involved in a number of worthy causes. She was a deaf education advocate, social reformer, and a poet. Her children’s book, The Deerfield Coloring Book (1960), helped paved the way for integration in the area.