Women Creating Change
A Great Tradition of Community Service
Since 1897, The Woman’s Club has served as a guiding force in City of Jacksonville affairs.
The Windsor Hotel
On January 20, 1897, an organizational meeting of The Woman's Club of Jacksonville was held at the Windsor Hotel, the club's founding site. The Windsor Hotel, located in downtown Jacksonville on Hogan Street, fronted the St. James Park, renamed Hemming Park in 1898.
Year - President
Harriett S Fairhead
First President of The Woman’s Club of Jacksonville, Inc.
1897 - 1899
- On January 20, 1987 the first meeting of the Woman's Club of Jacksonville was held at the Windsor Hotel.
- The club sponsored Jacksonville's first Flower Show and first Art Exhibit. This allowed the Woman's Club to contribute the $1000 needed to keep the public schools open a full term.
Mrs R M Pollard
1899 - 1901
Mrs Joseph H Durkee
1901 - 1902
Mrs W W Cummer
1902 - 1904
- The Club organized the first Mother's Club. This was the forerunner to the P.T.A. in Duval High School.
Mrs Duncan U Fletcher
1904 - 1906
- Operated a Fresh Air Camp for Tubercular children.
Mrs Arthur Gerrish Cummer
1906 - 1908
- Established the first city playground in Dignan Park, now Confederate Park.
- Organized Associated Charities, a forerunner of the Community Chest.
Mrs William B Young 1911 - 11913
- Organized the Y.W.C.A.
- Started a music program in the public schools
- Opened first school lunchrooms
- Provided for the city's first Infant Welfare Nurse by paying salary for six years.
Miss. Louise C Meigs
1913 - 1915
1930 - 1931
- Established the first ward for contagious diseases in St. Luke’s Hospital.
Mrs Frank E Jennings
1915 - 1917
- Organized the first Artist Concert Series, now Civic Music.
Mrs Matilda F O'Donald
1922 - 1924
Mrs Maleonlna M Landers
1924 - 1926
Mrs Fred B Noble
1926 - 1928
- November 23rd, Grand Opening of new $60,000 clubhouse on Riverside Avenue
- Junior Woman’s Club was organized
- Jacksonville's first Police Woman’s Bureau established
- Started the Parental Home.
Mrs Maveus C Fagg
1928 - 1930
- The Little Woman’s Department was organized for girls, ages 12-18.
- Paid the full salary for matron in Union Depot, anticipating Traveler’s Aid Society.
Presidents Day Celebration January 23, 1929
Miss Louise Meigs
1930 - 1931
Miss Louise C Clark
1931 -1932
Mrs Waldo E Cummer
1932 - 1934
Mrs James W Spratt
1934 - 1935
Mrs William A Bisbee
1935 - 1936
Mrs Thurston Roberts
1936 - 1938
Mrs Granville Emmett Batey
1938 - 1940
- Organized first Marathon Round Table (Now Civic Round Table).
Mrs Horace C Avery
1940 - 1942
- Entertained servicemen
- Worked with Red Cross work
- provided classes in national defense
- Aided in establishing Teen Town
Mrs Joseph F Marrow
1942 - 1944
Mrs Charlotte Bowden Perry
1944 - 1946
Mrs Charlotte Bowden Perry
1944 - 1946
- Entertained servicemen
- Worked with Red Cross
- Provided classes in national defense
- Aided in establishing Teen Town.
Mrs A Cecil Tharin
1946 -1948
Mrs James Bright Lee
1948 - 1950
- Sponsored the first Child Hygiene Clinic
Mrs Ralph R Anderson
1952 - 1954
Mrs Joseph H Riggs
1954 - 1956
- Established the first School Crossing Guard Program
Mrs John P Miller
1956 - 1958
- The Friendship Club for senior citizens organized by the new Gerontology Division.
Mrs Olin W Stagg
1958 - 1960
- The Club established the city’s first “Pal Day for Service Women.”
Mrs Robert B Cowan
1960 - 1962
Year - President
- Sponsored classes in languages open to the public, including a weekly class for Cuban refugees.
Mrs Chester F Cluxton
1962 - 1964
- Sponsored “Mental Health Alert,” an educational program open to the public.
- Received a $500 award for the Club’s scholarship and education work.
Mrs. E Ross Harris
1964 - 1966
- Operation Teenager reached thousands of junior and high school students for crime prevention.
Mrs C LaFon Lash
1966 - 1967
- Established Translators and Interpreters Bureau, representing 19 languages.
Mrs H Ward Strickland
1967 - 1969
Mrs Lloyd T Thurmond
1969 - 1971
- Roberta (Mrs. Walker J.) Bennett Library at Woman’s Club of Jacksonville dedicated.
Mrs Oscar G Rawls
1971 - 1973
Mrs J A Camera
1973 - 1974
Mrs Julian Warren
1977 - 1979
- 100th birthday of the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville.
- First Club Gala, “Grande Dame of Riverside,” a fundraiser for the restoration of our historic building.
- Sale of the Riverside Avenue property to the Cummer Museum.
- Donated $25,000 to the Police Athletic League for the purchase of a 12 passenger van to drive children to events.
Donations were made to the following:
- $10,000 to Hubbard House
- $3,000 Firefighters Local 122 for Iris Roberts Fund
- $1,000 to St. Andrews Lighthouse
- 300 pounds of items to the Troops in Iraq
- 30 lap blankets to Taylor Manor Nursing Home
- Personal items for the girls at Hacienda Girls Ranch in Melbourne
- Purchased Christmas gifts for 25 children of the Salvation Army Angel Tree program
Donations were made to the following
- Jacksonville Historical Society,
- Girl Scouts of Gateway,
- City Rescue Mission,
- Jacksonville Symphony,
- Pace Center for Girls,
- Jacksonville Humane Society,
- Second Harvest Food Bank,
- St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church
- Hubbard House.
- Special project: Formed “Young Women in Leadership” at Robert E. Lee High School. Mentored ten girls from January through May, gave five college scholarships.
- Awarded the Jacksonville Historical Society a copy machine ($9,000 value).
- Special Project: “Young Women in Leadership” provided one scholarship.
- Contributed to a female veteran who needed home repairs where she lived with two teenage daughters.
- Created a foundation with the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida to continue the Club’s charitable work in perpetuity.
Laura Ward Crooks
2016 - 2018
- Purchased sound system for West Jacksonville Elementary School ($1000),
- purchased a Special Reading Program to help children at risk for West Jacksonville Elementary School ($16,000.).
- Sponsors for “Tee Up For Pine Castle ($10,000),
- Gave scholarships to six high school or college women at $2,000. each.
- Awarded a grant of $3,500.00 to Fletcher High School to purchase sheet music for its choral groups and provide transportation to musical events.
- Presented $ 6,000 grant to The Jacksonville to archive papers, photographs and other paraphernalia of The Woman's Club of Jacksonville.
- Purchased All-In-One Touch Screen Classroom Technology Unit Table and Chairs as part of a "Make-over" for the art room at West Riverside Elementary School,($5,100.).
- Granted $2,500 to Duncan U. Fletcher High School towards the purchase of new concert dresses for young women in the Concert Chorus
- Granted the Jacksonville Public Library $500 to purchase books for their Early Literacy Parent/Child Program
- Granted Theater Jacksonville $1,000 toward scholarships for their Summer Theater Camp Program for inner-city children
- Provided a $1,000 grant to "We Care" for medical supplies
- Scholarships were awarded to 9 students totaling $14,000.
Katherine Schnauss Naugle
2018 - 2021
- Awarded $ 5,000 grant to The Jacksonville Historical Society to continue archiving Woman’s Club Collection
- Awarded $5,000 to Family Promise of Jacksonville in support to their mentoring program for women who are head of household
- Awarded $5,000 to West Riverside Elementary School to provide musical instruments for the newly created music program
- Awarded $5,000 to Downtown Ecumenical Services Council- for woman's nutrition program;
- Awarded $2,900 Ortega Elementary School to be used for kindergarten reading program;
- Awarded $2,000 to We Care to be used towards education for women who prepare meals for family members with chronic illness;
- Awarded $40,0000 in scholarships to 20 students.
Sheriff Michael Williams
Guest Speaker
date
- Awarded Scholarships of 2,000 each to 11 students totaling $22,000
- Donated $1,000 to Theatre Jacksonville in support of their 100 year anniversary fundraising campaign
- Donated $1,000 to North Florida School
