History.htm Sept07

GFWC - Oregon Federation of Women's Clubs

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

On October 24th, 1899, the Portland Woman's Club called together the women's clubs of the state of Oregon. The urgent need in Oregon was for Public Libraries. There were no public Libraries in the state at that time. Thirteen clubs attended that meeting. The first convention was in Pendleton in 1900. The newly organized Federation began a vigorous campaign to secure the passage of a Library Bill in the Oregon Legislature. Most local Libraries in Oregon owe their founding to the untiring efforts of local women's clubs.

In 1901, OFWC was admitted to the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Another early concern of the Federation was child labor. OFWC had a prominent part in obtaining the passage of Oregon's first Child Labor Law. They included efforts to ensure that the law provided for the majority of the Labor Board to be women. The governor appointed three prominent clubwomen to this first board.

In 1903, 36 clubs belonged to the Federation. In 1905, the Scholarship Loan and Fellowship Fund was started with $23 remaining from funds used to erect a statue of Sacajawea which now stands in Portland's Washington Park.

In 1910, OFWC had 51 clubs and 2398 members. Between 1915 and 1921, OFWC raised $108,000 which was matched by the Oregon Legislature for a women's building (Gerlinger Hall) at the University of Oregon.

From 1938 to 1941, Oregon's Saidie Orr Dunbar served as President of the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC). In 1941, under the sponsorship of OFWC, legislation was introduced and passed by the Oregon Legislature providing for blood testing of prospective mothers in an effort to detect and control syphilis. In 1942, OFWC had 137 clubs and 5866 members.

From 1943 to 1946, the country was at war and OFWC raised a total of $911,950 in the War Bond drive to "Buy a Bomber". That was more than enough money to name one bomber for the Federation. In 1945, the work of OFWC to secure passage of a new health and physical fitness law for Oregon schools was recognized in newspapers and medical journal editorials.

In 1946, the Penny Art Fund Scholarship was started and the first scholarship given in 1948. In 1948, GFWC held their 57th Convention in Portland. In 1956, the Saidie Orr Dunbar Nursing Fund was established and in 1961, the Virginia Brown Music Scholarship was established.

In 1953, after the devastating Tillamook Burn, OFWC created the "OFWC Memorial Forest". It is located 40 miles west of Portland and consists of 152 acres that OFWC replanted. In 1973, a roadside marker was placed at the site.

In 1968, OFWC began a two-year project to build a swimming pool at the Hillcrest School for Girls.

Construction of this page is continuous pending availability of accurate records, many of which are housed in the archives of the Oregon Historical Society....

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Site Last Reviewed and portions updated Friday, January 25th, 2008