Presented by Elaine Ko-Talmadge GFWC International Affiliates, Chairman Delmar Progress Club March 2018 General Membership Meeting

GFWC History Presentation

When I was given the monumental task of discussing 127 years of sisterhood, service, and progress, I was naturally overwhelmed. While I cannot mark each individual achievement, or national triumph, I would like to talk to you about the patterns, themes, and sheer perseverance that I have uncovered within the archives over the past year. If I had to describe the history of

GFWC in just two words, it would be foresight and resilience. Founded when a woman’s work and politics were seen as two separate entities, the women of GFWC supported suffrage and women’s education at a time when such thoughts were still dangerous. Clubwomen of GFWC were environmental conservationists long before the words global warming were strung together, champions of public education before the first public schools were founded, and stood by and educated their immigrant brothers and sisters during a period where many Americans sought to close their doors to them. GFWC women have founded public libraries, simultaneously supported their country’s war efforts and advocated for peace, promoted the importance of art and local craftsmanship, and even mastered the effectiveness of radio when broadcasting was still in its infancy. In short, we’ve done a lot.

Women’s clubs have roots deep into the 19th century, when a women’s decisive place was in home. Understanding the emergence of women’s clubs requires knowledge of what it meant to be a

“lady.” As the 19th century welcomed rapid industrialization, and rearranging social classes, the concept of work became central to the definition of womanhood. In reaction to an influx of immigrants, many of whom were forced to work in factories, the upper class and growing middle classes sought ways to distinguish themselves from those who were forced to work. The privilege of not needing to work, and being supported by one’s husband became a mark of the lady. As one historian noted, a lady “was leisured and ornamental, absorbed in learning the niceties that would

render her amusing and enable her to beautify her home… the lady’s function of embellishing her family’s environment was expanded into being the moral guardian of her home.” While women were relegated to the home, men took charge of public and political life, seemingly driving a separating wall between the public and private spheres. However, when we examine the history and foundations of GFWC, and look towards courageous leaders such as Jane Cunningham Croly,

Jane Addams, and , we know that this separation between public and private, and the political and the domestic was a façade, and a barrier which GFWC bravely helped to dismantle.

In a 1889 issue of The Women’s Cycle magazine, Jane Cunningham Croly, who went by the penname “Jennie June” wrote “is it possible that women may have a life of their own, may learn to know and honor each other, may find solace in companionship and lose sight of small troubles in larger aims?” One of the first women journalists, and an early advocate for suffrage and women’s education, Croly planted the seeds of GFWC when she started the women’s club, Sorosis, and created a space for women to do just that. In 1868 Croly had been refused entry to a dinner held in honor of Charles Dickens. When Croly was finally offered a conditional invitation she refused, citing that “she had not been treated like a gentleman.” The refusal had prompted Jennie June to form a collective of accomplished women, many with literary backgrounds, to hold business and social meetings once a month. Women discussed literature, freedom of dress, and duties of the city and state. By the end of the first year the club already held 83 members. However, Jennie June was not the only one who thought to organize. Throughout the 19th century, pockets of women across the country had begun to gather. Many of these clubs had literary roots, granting GFWC a relevance, forethought and intellectualism which has remained a central vein throughout our lifespan. While literary clubs may sound tame by today’s standards, for many 19th century clubwomen, the courage to meet outside their home and church, develop their own social schedule, and, eventually, take on community improvement projects was a bold step which faced much public criticism. Looking for

2 systems of support and sisterhood, Sorisis reached out to women’s groups across the country, contact was maintained, and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs was born.

Historian Karen J. Blair marked the founding of GFWC as the “politicization of domestic feminism, whereby women nurtured pride in the lady’s special qualities and confidence to reach out into public domain.” As women were assigned to the roles of homemakers, educators and child- rearers women’s clubs across the country took these relegated special qualities and brought them into public life, for the improvement of their communities. As the 20th century approached, “there was a marked increase in community service and community involvement. [Contemporary] issues, including reform movements, were presented as club programs.” Education and suffrage, which had previously been denied to women, arose as natural and urgent cau

ses. As clubs were formed across the states, establishing kindergartens became a major goal. GFWC women founded and ran night schools and training programs for teachers. In 1897 clubwomen founded the National Congress of Mothers which would later be renamed the Parent

Teacher Association (PTA). Advocates like opened settlement houses for immigrants in America’s cities, and offered English classes to aid in the assimilation process. GFWC members, led by Jane Addams, became crucial to the effort to end child labor, which was passed as law in

1899.

As clubwomen worked for educational, prison, and labor reform into the 20th century,

America was sitting on the brink of war. Acknowledging the impending crisis of WWI, GFWC women formed peace committees across the country, and prepared to help abroad and on the home front. At GFWC’s 1916 convention in , suffragist, activist and clubwomen Carrie

Chapman Catt declared that “the vote is only the turning of one page of history. It is only a tool with which to work… My sisters, the work lies ahead… it is a sort of preparedness- not the kind which can be found in a training camp- preparedness for war and peace.” On the home front, the women of

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GFWC were prepared. On July 4th of 1916, clubwomen reported holding peace rallies across the country, and numerous clubs contributed weekly peace columns to their local newspapers.

However, an emerging wave of patriotism in the light of war also conjured deep-seated fear. The war in Europe gave way to a general distrust of foreigners, and created a strong dislike of the vast influx of immigrants which streamed into the country at the beginning of the 20th century. In a political climate not unfamiliar to us, fear of immigrants caused strict governmental immigration quotas, and social, educational, and political ostracization of foreign born Americans. Rising above the call of duty, GWFC clubwomen worked to eliminate stigma, and aided in the assimilation process. During the 1916 convention, at an event called “And they Come Bearing Gifts” GFWC

President Anna Pennybacker invited women from Ireland, Poland, Germany, Scandinavia and

Russia to speak to delegates about their homelands, the contributions of immigrants to America and their goals as American citizens. At a time when xenophobia permeated the national psyche,

GFWC lent their hands and their hearts.

GFWC’s work with immigrants also led to the development of a long-standing relationship between clubwomen and the federal government. GFWC cooperated with state and federal labor department to prevent exploitation of immigrants engaged in industrial labor. Throughout WWI

GFWC also entered into relationships with the departments of labor, immigration, the interior and the department of agriculture. GFWC established a service office in Washington D.C. to be of better aide to their government, opened Red Cross chapters across the country, and decided to make wartime programs for children the focus of their efforts. While GFWC was forced to drop many of its prewar activities, clubwomen ensured the domestic peace of their country, and continued their crusade for education. In a proud tradition that still presides in our contemporary service projects,

GFWC women made the care of disabled war veterans a new priority.

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With the war over, and women’s suffrage established, the 1920s marked a new era for both the country and for GFWC. Although a charter by congress had ensured that GFWC centralized itself in Washington D.C. in 1901, a headquarters was not purchased until April of 1922. Appropriately, in

1924 GFWC’s president Mary King Sherman’s administration theme was “The American Home.”

Ensconced in a beautiful home of our own, GFWC clubwomen engaged in the domestic feminism of their predecessors. Mrs. Sherman declared that “while homemaking is admitted unofficially to be the most important industry, it is the only one which we have none of the information necessary for progress of improvement.” With the goal of domestic progress, GFWC became a champion of home improvement campaigns. Their efforts helped to introduce women to appliances to make their lives easier. Surveys which were sent out across the country, asking women about their haves and have nots also helped bring to light the rural areas of the country which were still in need of mechanical power, running water and electricity. These national surveys conducted by GFWC, and the publication of their data, also led to the inclusion of “homemaker” on the 1930 federal census for the first time, officially recognizing the often unrecognized toil of many American women.

The emphasis on improving domestic conditions in the 1920’s led to a large increase in rural membership, as well as international membership. After the 1929 stock market crash, the veritable army of clubwomen across the nation would become an integral part of relief efforts.

Although numbers dwindled during the 1930s, GFWC worked under the appropriate theme of

“American Community.” An Economic Adjustment Committee was formed, and women held programs on smart spending and saving, and home vegetable gardening. Clubwomen also implemented canning centers across the country, which offered community equipment for people to can and preserve what produce they were able to grow or afford. The downtrodden 1930’s also saw the advent of GFWC’s Penny Art Fund, which asked members to donate one penny annually.

The collected funds were then used to purchase the work of local artists, which helped to not only preserve the artists, but local craftsmanship and traditions.

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As the country and the Federation climbed out of the depression, GFWC faced its next major hurdle with America’s entrance into WWII. While the war caused the cancellation of conventions between 1943-1945, GFWC’s work did not stop. Clubwomen resumed their work with the Red

Cross, raised money, and bought equipment for the troops. GFWC became a major seller of war bonds, and even started a national campaign to collect used wedding dresses to donate the women of Britain who were in service to their country. Women after my own heart, clubwomen turned the grand drawing room at headquarters into a wartime office, which featured a reference library to keep women up-to-date on the situation abroad. Throughout the war approximately 4,500 junior clubwomen served in the armed forces, and more than 6,000 young women were recruited by

GFWC for the Cadet Nurse Corps.

While WWII pushed many Americans to recognize their place as global citizens, GFWC was already leaps and bounds ahead. Throughout the war GFWC maintained contact with their international affiliates. After the war, clubwomen expressed their support for the United Nations, and provided scholarship programs for graduate work for women around the world. Notably,

GFWC President Lucy J. Dickinson even traveled to the Soviet Union, where she raised awareness for Russian relief efforts and the women of Russia. At a time in America when foreign influence was again feared, GFWC women offered relief and support for not only Soviet women, but for German citizens on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall.

Undeniably, GFWC strode into the second half of the 20th century with much to be proud of.

However, if you look for women’s clubs within the history books, descriptions of influence typically fall flat in the second half of the 20th century. GFWC simply proves this evaluation wrong. Using the platforms of education, international awareness, and community betterment, GFWC has moved with the times. In the 1950’s GFWC’s radio department became the television and radio department, and clubwomen used their mastery of communication and public presentation to

6 permeate the airwaves with regular appearances on NBC’s program entitled “Home.” The media savvy and appeal of clubwomen helped to boost junior numbers and participation, and launch

GFWC into the youth focused, and politically tumultuous 1960s and 70s.

GFWC welcomed the 1960s as the first women’s club to officially endorse the Peace Corps, and we were appointed by President John F. Kennedy to lead the Food for Peace National Campaign and the Civil and Political Rights Committee of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women.

In 1961 GFWC President Katie Ozbirn congratulated the women on turning their “tea tables into round tables.” GFWC continued their international outreach and diplomacy throughout the 1960s, acting as peacemakers and liaisons, and even took a tour of member countries of NATO. With the

1963 publishing of ’s book, The Feminine Mystique, the women’s liberation movement took grip of the country. While GFWC members harbored a myriad of opinions on how and when to achieve equality, equality of the sexes had been on our docket from the very beginning.

As the 1960s continued to bring social and political change, the women of GFWC were ready to attend to the wounds of a polarized nation. Persistent in their efforts to support the nation’s youth, clubwomen continued their work with the juvenile court system, a program which they had founded in the early 20th century. Youth remained a primary concern throughout the decade, but as crime rates and drug usage rose, clubwomen doubled down on their efforts. GFWC increased their scholarships and youth employment programs. Clubwomen around the country focused their efforts on drug abuse programs, working as court advocates with halfway houses and youth camp programs.

While the 1970s saw the slow decline of the counterculture, it simultaneously welcomed increased activism and pressure for the recognition of women’s rights. President Louise Brown remarked that “whether or not you are an admirer of the Women’s Lib movement, one thing is indisputable: it has served to focus an increased amount of attention on women, their rights and

7 prerogatives, their abilities to measure up in a competitive working society.” GFWC was an avid supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment from the moment of its creation, and articles of support were peppered throughout Clubwomen magazines of the decade. GFWC’s 1977 participation in

International Women’s Year, a global program which was enthusiastically endorsed by President

Gerald Ford, marked our past and continued support of women’s liberation, and the growth of a diverse and supportive sisterhood. GFWC members participated in the United Nations Decade for

Women, beginning in 1976, and formed a Human Rights Committee to tend to violations of women’s rights. At decades end, Doris Wood, the chairmen of the committee remarked that “no one can be sure to what extent anyone’s efforts have contributed to the progress already made. A quickening consciousness of human rights is the main prerequisite for progress. Awareness of the progress, as well as of the problems, can only make the demands for justice ever more urgent.”

For the last thirty plus years the women of GFWC have continued their advocacy for women, focusing on the improvement of their communities, and serving their nation. From the 1980s until today GFWC women have become enthusiastically involved in caring for victims of domestic abuse, furthering their activism for children and education, and caring for the health of their members, their countrymen, and the environment, among a myriad of other causes. The history of GFWC is rich, diverse and uplifting and I have only scratched the surface of our many accomplishments.

However, I hope that the history of GFWC, the inspiring stories of its women and its achievements will serve as inspiration and motivation for the future.

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