When I joined the Nineteenth Century Woman's Club, I discovered an excellently drawn, amazingly fair and open political and working structure. The programs were professional, including not only talented performers, but the women themselves. Their benevolence work and community involvement were legendary.

It occurred to me that the presidential lineage alone could show important founding connections between the Club and almost all of the major social agencies in this community. The Club established the Oak Park River Forest Day Nursery in memory of Elizabeth Charlton, an early member. She had helped found the Associated Charities (later the Family Service Agency). President Ruth Holt organized the Senior Citizen's Center and the Community Welfare Council. Members of the Club helped found the Economy Shop, where Club member Amy Judd served as director for 28 years. The Club's founders also established the Suburban Civics and Equal Suffrage League which developed into the League of Women Voters.

While these efforts continued, they also managed to raise the funds necessary to construct a clubhouse, to campaign and elect one of their members to the school board, and eventually to see one member elected to the village board. Over the years, two other members (Angeline Gebhard and Vernette Schultz) would also serve.

The men of this community were supportive of a women's club and the local editor opined that "as good women reside in Oak Park as in Chicago." He could have added "or anywhere else in Illinois." The women did not confine themselves to strictly local work. They were part of the metropolitan planning efforts, and were later called upon to inspect and to help develop state agencies for special needs.

From the late 1870s through the 1930s, there existed a richness of talent, energy, and leisure that reformed American society in a way we will probably never see again. Women created jobs, developed professions, established agencies to combat society's ills, and planned for future generations.

The history of the Nineteenth Century Woman's Club places it clearly as one of the country's best women's clubs. Its classes, programs, planning, good works and ability to run its own business affairs prove that. It survived intact because it paid attention to its structure as well as its purpose. Friendship took on new meaning as women working to empower others tackled community problems in a professional manner.

The Club itself is now facing a crises in membership and must find new ways to attract additional members. The Club needs to open itself to more cooperative efforts with other nonsectarian women's groups and those groups must seek out the Club. Exciting new ideas can develop while tradition is preserved.

Our history is written not just by ourselves, but by events all around us. This has been a selective history of a select group of women...the members of The Nineteenth Century Woman's Club. Although the name may sound odd, in May Estelle Cook's observation, "We have scarcely improved upon what the founders set forth, even today."

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