Manuscript Group 1028, Womans Club of Orange Records, 1872 – 1974
Archives Documents, Manuscripts, Maps, & Photographs
MG# 1028
WOMAN’S
CLUB OF ORANGE
RECORDS,
1872-1974
A female newspaper writer, Jennie June Croly, was refused a
ticket to a dinner given by the Press Club of New York to honor
the 1868 visit of Charles Dickens. This offense caused Ms.
Croly to develop a plan for a club for women, which she named
Sorosis. At the same time, Bostonian’s
Mary Livermore and Julia Ward Howe, among others, organized a
woman’s club with men as associate members, unaware of the
action of the New York group. These women all realized that
as individuals they could not expect recognition, but that united
they could demand, and receive consideration. The two
organizations became the nucleus of the woman’s club
movement.
The Women’s Club of Orange evolved from a February, 1872
meeting at the home of Mrs. Louise Lord Riley in East Orange, New
Jersey, and the club (the fifth woman’s club in the country)
was formally established in April 1872, with fifteen charter
members. The original purpose of the club was the
discussion of the topics of social and general importance for the
purpose of awakening in its members a more vital interest
in such topics. The list of topics considered during
the first years of the clubs existence included the
following: Can the ladies of Orange, by a unified
effort, do anything to improve domestic service?; Is
the extravagance of American women the cause of the overwork and
premature decay of American men?; Do the women of the
middle and upper classes do their share of the work in the
world?; What duties does the right of suffrage
entail?; and Does a liberal education unfit a person
for a practical life?
During the early years each member of the club was expected to
furnish a topic for discussion, and to prepare a paper on their
topic. Failure to do so meant a fine, first of fifty cents,
and then a dollar. This method stimulated discussion of
worthwhile topics, such as education, dress, nursing,
social duties, temperance, suffrage, personal responsibility, and
the abolition of war.
However, the club grew slowly due to prejudice against formation
of clubs for women, and by 1879, the club had only increased its
membership to forty-four. These difficulties didnt
dissuade the club from becoming involved in community affairs,
and committees were established (taking the place of individual
topics) to accomplish this objective.
In 1873, the club established the first evening school for girls
in the Oranges, which had a sixteen-week term, and was attended
by about thirty girls. The school was a success and it was
continued by the city of Orange. During that same year, the
club gave $10.00 to each public school in the Oranges towards
their school libraries, and thus entitled the schools to an equal
amount of funds from the State of New Jersey. A few years
later, the club joined two other organizations in employing a
woman as Sanitary Inspector in Orange.
Sorosis, the original womans club, celebrated its
twenty-first anniversary in 1889, by inviting other womens
club presidents to attend their anniversary ceremonies. Then
in 1890, Sorosis invited the ninety-seven clubs then in existence
to send representatives to a meeting in New York to create a
permanent national organization. Sixty-one delegates
attended, and the General Federation of Womens Clubs became
a reality. Mrs. Charlotte Emerson Brown of Orange was
chosen as its first president, and on December 29, 1893 the
General Federation of Womens Clubs was incorporated in
Newark, New Jersey.
The existing clubs in New Jersey, enthused by the events taking
place, eagerly accepted the invitation of the Womans Club
of Orange to assemble in Union Hall, Orange, on November 16,
1894. Here the New Jersey State Federation of Womens
Clubs was founded, and on March 15, 1895 the charter members
roster closed with thirty-six clubs.
The womans club movement was growing, and the Womans
Club of Orange saw its membership reach five hundred in 1903,
with a waiting list of 200. Club membership included Mrs.
Thomas Alva Edison, and other wealthy and socially prominent
residents of the Oranges. The memberships increased
size, and its prominence in the community, enabled the club to
successfully champion causes to improve the welfare of women and
children. The Civics and Legislative Committees
investigated the need for a reformatory for women, accelerated
passage of a law controlling immigration, aided in the
establishment of the milk inspection bureau, and initiated action
toward the support of a pure food bill. Also,
the Civic Committee engaged a field secretary, who investigated
the milk supply, baby-saving work, and housing conditions in the
Oranges, for a period of two years. Results of her
investigations were published in pamphlet form, and used as a
model throughout the country.
Although they lacked the vote, the club members were able to
accomplish noteworthy social improvements in the Oranges,
including the establishment of the first playground in New
Jersey. The Orange Employment Bureau (later taken
over by the Federal Government) was started by the Womens
Club, and in the first year placed 1,291 men and 1,068 women in
permanent positions. While committed to community welfare,
the Womans Club of Orange still remembered its first
commitment to the feminist cause. They clamored for the
legal recognition of womens right to vote, and the
Nineteenth Amendment was ratified on August 26, 1920,
largely because of the efforts of feminist leaders and
organizations like the Womans Club of Orange.
In 1926, membership reached 1,200. In the same year, the
Junior Womans Club of Orange was organized with two hundred
members and a waiting list. The Junior Womans Club
was open to women between the ages of twenty and thirty, with the
purpose of bridging the age gap, and bringing in members to the
senior club already trained in group skills.
The highest membership for both the Senior and Junior
Womans Club of Orange occurred during the 1920s to the late
1940s, and during these years the clubs artistic members wrote
plays and staged costume productions of both classical and modern
plays. Also, Sunday evening twilight musicals were started,
lecture series were sponsored, and extension courses were offered
on subjects ranging from French to horseback riding.
The social functions of the club were gradually superseding its
commitment to social welfare and legislative reform programs.
However, the club did continue to contribute time and money to
charitable organizations, and in 1956, voted to set aside
one-tenth of its annual income to be contributed towards
philanthropies. This action resulted in the government
reclassifying the club as a charitable organization, making it
exempt from further excise tax.
The membership in the Senior and Junior Womans Clubs of
Orange began a downward trend in the 1950s and 1960s, causing the
dissolution of the Junior Womans Club of Orange on November
20, 1969. When the Junior Womans Club dissolved it
had only twenty members, but was financially sound with assets
totaling almost $10,000. These funds were disbursed to
charitable organizations in Essex County.
The Senior Womans Club of Orange had fallen from 1,200 to
250 members, which caused a vote for dissolution in 1976
and the formulation of a plan for disposition of its assets
totaling $93,000. The funds were divided among charities in
Essex County, with the largest gift given to Upsala College in
East Orange. Upsala College received $50,000 to establish a
trust, with the annual income used for scholarship aid in
the name of the Womans Club of Orange. The formal
dissolution of the club took place in April, 1977.
CONTAINER
LIST
Box
Folder
Title
Date
1
1.
Signers of the Constitution, vol. 1
1873
2.
Constitution and Revisions, vol. 1
1872-1905
3.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1893-1902
4.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1902-1910
5.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1907-1910
2
1.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1910-1913
2.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1913-1916
3.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1616-1918
4.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1918-1921
3
1.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1922-1927
2.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
1928-1931
4
1.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
May 25, 1933-Dec 12, 1935
2.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
June 30, 1939-Dec. 29, 1941
3.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
Jan 26, 1942-March 26, 1945
4.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
April 4, 1945-May 7, 1947
5.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
Dec. 21, 1959-May 24, 1965
5
1.
Committee Report from Board of Trustees, Minutes
1957
2.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
Sept 26, 1960-May 27, 1963
3.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
Oct 2, 1963-June 29, 1964
4.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
Sept. 23, 1963-Apr 26, 1965
5.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
May 25, 1964-Apr 26, 1965
6.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
June 28, 1965-Apr 25, 1966
7.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
May 24, 1965-Apr 25, 1966
(with annual report, finance membership)
8.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
May 24, 1965-Mar 27, 1966
6
1.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
May 24, 1965-Mar 27, 1966
(with annual report, finance membership)
2.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
May 23, 1966-Apr 24, 1967
3.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
May 22, 1967-May 27, 1968
4.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
June 24, 1968-May 3, 1971
5.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
Jan. 29, 1968-May 1, 1972
7
1.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
Jan. 29, 1968-May 1, 1972
2.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
June 27, 1968-May 3, 1971
3.
Board of Trustees, Minutes., vol. 1
Jan 25, 1971-May 2, 1973
Box
Folder
Title
Date
8
1.
Womens Club of Orange, annual reports
1876-1884
2.
1884-1893
3.
Womens Club of Orange, annual reports
1883-1897
4.
1897-1901
5.
1901-1902
6.
1902-1903
7.
1903-1904
8.
1904-1905
9.
1905-1906
10.
1906-1907
11.
1907-1908
9
1.
Womens Club of Orange, annual reports
1908-1909
2.
1909-1910
3.
1910-1911
4.
1912
5.
1915
6.
1915-1916
7.
1916-1917
8.
1917-1918
9.
1932-1933
10.
1933-1934
11.
1934-1935
12.
1935-1936
13.
1937-1938
14.
Correspondence with Theodore Roosevelt 1914
15.
General Federation of Womans Clubs of America Pamphlet. 1912
10
1.
Women’s Club of Orange, annual reports 1938-1939
2.
1939-1940
3.
1940-1941
4.
1941-1942
5.
1942-1943
6.
1943-1944
7.
1944-1945
8.
1945-1946
9.
1946-1947
10.
1947-1948
11
1.
Womens Club of Orange, annual reports 1948-1949
2.
1949-1950
3.
1950-1951
4.
1951-1952
5.
1952-1953
6.
1953-1954
7.
1954-1955
8.
1955-1956
9.
1956-1957
10.
1957-1958
11.
1958-1959
12.
1959-1960
13.
Women’s Club of Orange, annual reports
1961-1962
14.
1962-1963
15.
1963-1964
16.
1965-1966
12
1.
Womens Club of Orange, annual reports
1963-1964
2.
1964-1965
3.
1965-1966
4.
1966-1967
5.
1967-1968
6.
1968-1969
7.
1969-1970
8.
1970-1971
9.
1971-1972
10.
1972-1973
11.
1971-1973
12.
1973-1974
13.
1974-1975
14.
Womens Club of Orange, General Correspondence
1962-1965
15.
1967-1968
16.
Documents of Annual Representative Meetings , etc.
1975-1976, 1977
13
1.
General Correspondence
1973-1974
2.
President & Finance chairman reports & correspondence
1975-1976
3.
The Crucible: An American Masque by Josie Thorpe
n. d.
4.
Papers written for special occasions
n. d.
5.
50th anniversary calendar
1872-1922
6.
List of contents of safe deposit box; certificate of merit;
agreement
1916-1932, 1966, 1970-1972
7.
Club History
1902-12, 1924-1925
8.
Club realty Co. Minutes
1916-1919
9.
Borden D. Whiting (Legal Consul ) letters
1912-1944
10.
Printed matter
1941, 1965, 1972
11.
Histories
1922-1969
12.
Choral Group material
1956-1959
13.
Additional
1872-1975
14
1.
Treasurers Financial Reports (ledger vol. 1)
1906-1912
15
1.
Papers, histories & Misc.
1892-1932
2.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1889-1893
3.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1893-1898
4.
1910-1913
5.
1913-1919
Box
Folder
Title
Date
16
1.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1922-1928
2.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1930-1932
3.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1932-1934
4.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1935
5.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1936-1938
17
1.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1945-1947
2.
1945-1947
3.
1947-1951
4.
1947-1951
5.
1951-1953
6.
1953-1956
18
1.
Business Minutes, vol. 1
1953-1956
2.
1957-1960
3.
1960-1963
4.
1962-1963
19
1.
Membership Book, vol.1
1892-1901
2.
1905-1918
3.
1914-1926
20
1.
Membership Book, vol.1
1925-1934
2.
1934-1947
21
1.
Membership Book, vol. 1
1894-1904
2.
1947-1967
3.
(A-I)
1943-1968
4.
(J-S)
22
1.
Membership Book, vol. 1 (T-Z)
1893-1917
2.
Club History
1893-1917
3.
Histories
1902-1919
4.
Histories/Scrapbook
1918-1922
23
1.
Printed Materials/Memorials
1872-1906
24
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1872-1906
2.
1902-1913
3.
1921-1923
4.
1923-1930
Box
Folder
Title
Date
25
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1898-1903
2.
1929-1931
26
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1931-1932
27
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1932-1934
2.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1933-1935
28
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1935-1937
2.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1937-1939
3.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1939-1941
29
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1944-1945
2.
1945-1946
30
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1945-1947
2.
1947-1948
31
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1945-1948
2.
1946-1947
3.
1948-1956
32
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1950-1951
2.
1951-1952
3.
1953-1954
33
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1949
2.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1954-1958
3.
Citations, Certificates; Awards
n. d.
4.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1912-1913
34
1.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1961-1968
2.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1962
3.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1963
4.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1963
5.
Scrapbook, vol. 1
1964
35
1.
Choral group materials
1948-1957
2.
Music department documents
1959-1965
3.
Miscellaneous
1973-1975
4.
Founders Day Documents
1958-1961
5.
1962-1964
6.
1964-1968
7.
1969-1970
8.
1973-1976
9.
Valuation report on East Orange area properly
1931
36
1.
Phonograph Records of 75th Anniversary Celebration
n. d.
37
1.
Junior Womans Club of Orange, annual reports
1932-1933
2.
Junior Womans Club of Orange, annual reports
1933-1934
3.
1934-1935
4.
1935-1936
5.
1937-1938
6.
1938-1939
7.
1939-1940
8.
1941-1941
9.
1942-1943
10.
1944-1945
11.
1946-1947
12.
1947-1948
13.
1949-1950
14.
1950-1951
15.
1951-1953
16.
1952-1953
17.
1953-1954
18.
1954-1955
19.
1957-1958
20.
1958-1959
21.
1959-1960
22.
1960-1961
23.
1961-1962
24.
1962-1963
25.
1963-1964
26.
1964-1965
27.
1965-1966
28.
1966-1967
29.
1967-1968
30.
1968-1969
31.
1969-1970
32.
Certificate of incorporation
1949
33.
Agreement regarding Cottage & Club house
n. d
34.
Correspondence
35.
Jersey Junior song
38
1.
History, vol. 1
1936-1945
2.
History, vol. 1
1932-1936
3.
Womens Club of Orange, annual reports
1936-1969
4.
Womens Club of Orange, annual reports
1964-1969
5.
Membership
1957-1967
6.
Scrapbook
1931
Box
Folder
Title
Date
39
1.
Junior Womans Club of Orange, Scrapbook vol. 1
1931
2.
Junior Womans Club of Orange, Scrapbook vol. 1
1933-1934
3.
Junior Womans Club of Orange, Scrapbook vol. 1
1935-1936
40
1.
Junior Womans Club of Orange, Scrapbook vol. 1
1941-1944
2.
1943-1944
3.
1956-1958
4.
1955-1956
5.
Junior Womans Club, Know New Jersey –
1956
Trees,
Flowers, and State Parks
41
In Member Listings.
Oversize Collection
42
Scrapbook
1960-1962
43
1.
Scrapbook
1961-1969
2.
Scrapbook
1955-1956
3.
Scrapbook (Drama Department)
1958-1962
44
1.
General Federation of Women Clubs, Diamond Jubilee
Photograph
records with index.
2.
Guest book
n. d.
3.
Junior Womens Club, scrapbook
1935-1936
4.
1949-1950
45
1.
Financial journal
1920-1942
2.
Scrapbook
1954-1958
3.
1964-1967
46
Press book
1939-1940
47
Scrapbook
1932-1936
48
Junior Womens Club, scrapbook
1937-1938
49
1.
Advanced publicity for April Frolic of 1940, Annual
Revenue of Junior Womens club
April 19/20, 1940
2.
Album files with newspaper clippings & photos etc.
50
Scrapbook
1933-1934
51
Junior Womens Club, scrapbook
1937-1938
52
Junior Womens Club, scrapbook
1938-1939
53
Junior Womens Club, scrapbook
1941-1942
1028. WOMAN’S CLUB OF ORANGE
Records, 1872-1974. 15 ft.
Annual reports, minutes, membership records, and scrapbooks of
the Woman’s Club of Orange, and of its auxiliary, the Junior Woman’s
Club, both founded to discuss such contemporary social issues
as woman’s suffrage, education, working conditions, and welfare.
The club started an evening school for girls in Orange, and
The Orange Employment Bureau, championing and lobbying for
women’s causes. Inventory available.
Gift of the Woman’s Club of Orange, 1976.
