Smith Club of Sarasota

The Smith College Club of Sarasota, Florida was started in 1947 by Mrs. Louise Whitaker, the first acting president of the club, and consisted of fifteen members. One of the club's major fundraising activities is the sale of pecans. The amount raised goes towards the Smith College of Sarasota Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarship assistance to a Smith student from Florida. Additional club activities also included the sponsorship of the annual Book Awards, joint meetings with the Wellesley Club of Sarasota, and a tradition of welcoming Smith alumnae and faculty from a variety of fields as speakers. In January of 1978 former Smith College president Jill Ker Conway was the guest of honor and speaker at a club luncheon. The club also published its own member newsletter.