Isabel Bacon LaFollette

The Woman's Service Exchange, organized as a free public service by Isabel Bacon LaFollette, opened its doors in April 1952 at the Madison Vocational and Adult School, 211 N. Carroll Street, Madison, Wisconsin. The Exchange served to bring together employers and mature middle-aged women, who received counseling and, where desired, training and refresher courses leading to part-time jobs. The success of this pilot project under the auspices of the State Department of Vocational and Adult Education led to numerous inquiries from potential WSE organizers and to the opening of two other exchanges in Oshkosh and Wausau, Wisconsin. The Exchange continued its services despite Isabel LaFollette's move to New York in 1954. The WSE's work continued for about a decade until its functions were absorbed by the Wisconsin State Employment Office.