Josephine Simrall, Dean of Women from 1921-1933
A new two-box collection of records from the UC Woman’s Club is now available in the University Archives. Accessioned as number UA-10-12, the new collection contains meeting minutes, treasurer’s reports, newsletters, annual reports, and program records mainly spanning 1996-2003. Some of the program records go back to 1979. The collection also features membership rosters from 1970-1973. A complete inventory can be found at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/collections/documents/UA-10-12WomansClub.pdf.
The UC Woman’s Club was founded in April 1926 by Dean of Women, Josephine Simrall, as a social/service organization to “promote closer relations among the faculty wives in the different colleges, to welcome newcomers, and to assist in faculty and student activities.” * Through its history the membership grew to include wives of administrators as well as women faculty and administrators.
Members of the UC Woman’s Club with the silver service display case installed in the Faculty Club in 1994.
The club offers student academic scholarships to university women, hosts student functions, manages fundraising, and provides volunteers to assist with student and University needs. On the social side, the club hosts monthly luncheons for its members along with presentations, mostly covering University and Cincinnati affairs. Several “circles” have been formed covering such interests as books, bridge, drama, needlecraft, gourmet, art & adventure, movies, antiques, and nature.
The UC Woman’s Club silver service housed in the Alumni Center, 2010. (photo by Janice Schulz)
Over the years the UC Woman’s Club assembled a fine collection of silver service items that were used at their luncheons. In 1994 the Club commissioned the Department of Industrial Design in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning to install a display case in the Faculty Club to store the silver set. At that time the set was appraised at $2,150.00. When the Faculty Club moved to the new Lindner building in 2007, the Club purchased a free-standing curio cabinet and transferred the silver service to the Alumni Center, where it can be seen today.
The Archives has two other UC Woman’s Club collections. Collection number UA-04-04 contains meeting minutes, treasurer’s reports, newsletters, and annual reports spanning 1983-1996. Collection number UA-04-17 contains member lists from 1944-1968, the constitution of 1959, membership committee reports from 1944-1968, and miscellaneous notes and comments.
An invitation for membership in the UC Woman’s Club, 1967
*UC Woman’s Club Newsletter, February 1993
– Written by Janice Schulz