HISTORY
On May 25, 1911, a group of college women living in Montclair organized the College Women’s Club. Its first objective, promoting congenial sociability, expanded within the year to include a second, that of providing college scholarship aid to girls graduating from local high schools.
In 1928 the Club became a Branch of American Association of University Women which now includes more than 140,000 members banded together “to enable college women to continue their own intellectual growth, to further the advancement of women, and to discharge the special responsibilities to society of those who have enjoyed the advantages of higher education.” With this new affiliation each member automatically became a member of the International Federation of University Women.
The Branch’s initial concerns have broadened to include ever widening areas. Its members have contributed to the solution of numerous community problems and have taken part in the national organizations’s varied programs.
Branch meetings are held from September through June. Members have the privilege of attending state and regional meetings and workshops and the biennial (odd years) national convention.
In 1970, the Club was incorporated and a year later was determined a tax-exempt organization. It has raised funds for fellowships and awards in several ways, chiefly through a semi-annual “Used Book and Music Sale”. The financial successes of our book sales this past year provided the academic awards committee of CWC with an allocation of $36,000 for girls graduating from high school in June of 2019. Eighteen applicants from Montclair, Glen Ridge, Cedar Grove and Verona High Schools received these awards. The College Women’s Club also funds the Past Presidents’ Award for women returning to college, and supports the AAUW Educational Foundation. Such results attest to the dedicated efforts of the Branch toward the goal of Education as a means to Equity.
In 2010 we celebrated 75 years of our Book Sale, which has generated over two million dollars in scholarship aid to area girls since its inception. For this event we hosted some local authors and our speaker was Dorothy Benton Frank. Many members contribute a significant amount of time to sorting and pricing the books donated by the community for our twice yearly sales
In 2011 we celebrated the 100th anniversary of our Branch with a tea and program at Liberty Hall Museum, former home of the Livingston and Kean familes, at Kean University in Union, NJ. We have members from the surrounding communities of Wayne, Little Falls, Caldwell, Bloomfield and Glen Ridge in addition to Montclair. We have monthly meetings and special interest groups and one fund raising activity a year in addition to our Book Sale.
In 2011 we welcomed the Livingston Branch of AAUW, founded in 1960, as it merged with us. Thus our Club enters its second century with renewed dedication and energy.
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On May 25, 1911, a group of college women living in Montclair organized the College Women’s Club. Its first objective, promoting congenial sociability, expanded within the year to include a second, that of providing college scholarship aid to girls graduating from local high schools.
In 1928 the Club became a Branch of American Association of University Women which now includes more than 140,000 members banded together “to enable college women to continue their own intellectual growth, to further the advancement of women, and to discharge the special responsibilities to society of those who have enjoyed the advantages of higher education.” With this new affiliation each member automatically became a member of the International Federation of University Women.
The Branch’s initial concerns have broadened to include ever widening areas. Its members have contributed to the solution of numerous community problems and have taken part in the national organizations’s varied programs.
Branch meetings are held from September through June. Members have the privilege of attending state and regional meetings and workshops and the biennial (odd years) national convention.
In 1970, the Club was incorporated and a year later was determined a tax-exempt organization. It has raised funds for fellowships and awards in several ways, chiefly through a semi-annual “Used Book and Music Sale”. The financial successes of our book sales this past year provided the academic awards committee of CWC with an allocation of $36,000 for girls graduating from high school in June of 2019. Eighteen applicants from Montclair, Glen Ridge, Cedar Grove and Verona High Schools received these awards. The College Women’s Club also funds the Past Presidents’ Award for women returning to college, and supports the AAUW Educational Foundation. Such results attest to the dedicated efforts of the Branch toward the goal of Education as a means to Equity.
In 2010 we celebrated 75 years of our Book Sale, which has generated over two million dollars in scholarship aid to area girls since its inception. For this event we hosted some local authors and our speaker was Dorothy Benton Frank. Many members contribute a significant amount of time to sorting and pricing the books donated by the community for our twice yearly sales
In 2011 we celebrated the 100th anniversary of our Branch with a tea and program at Liberty Hall Museum, former home of the Livingston and Kean familes, at Kean University in Union, NJ. We have members from the surrounding communities of Wayne, Little Falls, Caldwell, Bloomfield and Glen Ridge in addition to Montclair. We have monthly meetings and special interest groups and one fund raising activity a year in addition to our Book Sale.
In 2011 we welcomed the Livingston Branch of AAUW, founded in 1960, as it merged with us. Thus our Club enters its second century with renewed dedication and energy.
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