The Woman’s Club of Larchmont was founded in 1925 because of the vision of 12 women who felt that by working together they could be a powerful influence for good in the community. At one time membership swelled to 500 as women discovered they could do good, have fun, and be personally enriched at the same time.
Part of a Larger Tradition:
The General Federation of Women’s Clubs
In the early 1800’s, clubs exclusively for women were formed independently by groups of women in various parts of the country. Begun primarily as a means of self-education and development, the emphasis of most of these local clubs gradually changed to one of community service and improvement. One such club was founded just after the Civil War by a New York journalist, Jane Cunningham Croly, who later became a Rutgers professor. In 1868 she and other women were denied admittance to a banquet honoring Charles Dickens at the all-male New York Press Club. Croly was so indignant that she was determined to organize a club only for women.
These women thought they were starting a new movement, but they gradually became aware of the existence of other women's clubs forming as the country expanded. In 1889, Mrs. Croly convened a conference in New York of delegates from 61 women's clubs. The women took action to form a permanent organization; its constitution was adopted in 1890 and the General Federation of Women's Clubs was born. It was chartered in 1901 by the U.S. Congress.
Strength in Numbers
During its first century the Federation’s accomplishments played a major role in the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. It urged workplace safety and prison reform. The American Association of Libraries credits women’s clubs with establishing 75% of the nation’s libraries. Juvenile court laws were passed at the Federation’s insistence. Members worked to improve child labor laws, raised monies to buy lands for National Parks, and developed kindergartens in public schools.
At one point, the Federation’s “Women's Crusade for Seat Belts” resulted in the installation of more than one million seat belts in a single year. In the aftermath of 9/11, member clubs contributed $180,000 for a fully equipped ambulance for the New York Fire Department in response to the need for equipment lost in the attack. In 2006, Federation members raised nearly $32 million on behalf of more than 230,000 projects, and volunteered more than 8.4 million hours in the communities where they live and work.
History
Elizabeth Gibson, First President
June Cunningham Croly
Federation Founder
Federation Founder
Over the years their contributions have been notable: The club was instrumental in the creation of the Larchmont Public Library, it helped many families through hard times during the Depression and provided basic support for children at Pleasant Valley Home. It has given thousands of gifts to the institutionalized and funded scholarships for the deserving. In recent years, the club’s philanthropy efforts have also given support to
many other local organizations and institutions that contribute to the betterment of the community.
