Twentieth Century Club (Washington, D.C.)

The Twentieth Century Club was founded in 1890 by a group of women of All Souls Unitarian Church. Its purpose was to promote benevolence, liberal thought, and philanthropy. The club held monthly meetings, which often included speakers and other programs. Its committees helped plan social and cultural gatherings, as well as charitable activities and donations. The club was established around the time that American women first began taking an interest in organized groups. The club donated its time and up to a third of its income annually to charities and causes, including living conditions, the clean city project, milk purification, education and libraries, handicapped and blind children, and cultural institutions, including the symphony orchestra and the National Zoo.