Women's Travel Club, 1935-

The Women's Travel Club (WTC) credits Mrs. Arthur Hartt of Brookline, Massachusetts, with "starting up" the organization in October l934. The idea may, however, have originated with several women whose husbands belonged to the Harvard Travel Club, after which the WTC is patterned.

The WTC's first formal meeting was held in Boston in January l935. The main purpose was to form a club for women who had taken unusual trips, "really something worthwhile--no cruises or casual tourists to be included" (see #45v). It was formed not "for social purposes," but "to provide help to other women travelers" (#l). Its members were women from well-known families in the Boston/Cambridge community whose "unusual travel purposes and method of travel and personality would contribute to the life of the club" (#2). Education, family relationship with other members, husband's profession, and social and academic connections were also considerations for membership.

...