Woman's Club of Boulder

The Woman’s Club of Boulder exemplified the application of the values of domesticity to voluntarism. Following the example of many women clubs at the time, these women formed a group to address the cluster progressive women’s concerns at the turn of the 20th century. Although many issues that the women’s clubs addressed at the turn of the century were absorbed by the social welfare state and professional organizations, many women’s clubs still exist today in the state of Colorado and throughout the nation; adding their own brand of social movement and volunteerism to society.

The Woman’s Club of Boulder began organizing in 1900. About one hundred Boulder club women attended a mass meeting held at the District Court room on December 8, 1900 to organize the Woman’s Club of Boulder. The first officers of the Club were elected at this meeting. The first president was Mrs. James H. Baker (Jennie Baker), the wife of the President of the University of Colorado. At this meeting a committee on constitution and by-laws was formed. A notice was put in the Boulder Tribune Friday, January 4, 1901 inviting the women of Boulder to a meeting of the Woman’s Club of Boulder at the District Courtroom. It was the intent of this meeting to write the by-laws of the Club and to finalize the election of the Club officers. The meeting also decided the Club logo and colors. The Club motto was “Where there is work, there we are” and the Club colors were dark green, yellow, and white. The Woman’s Club of Boulder was incorporated February 1902 and it was admitted into the State Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1902. The Club was admitted into the General Federation of Women’s Club in 1904. The goals of the Woman’s Club of Boulder were to provide public service to the Boulder community and to provide a social and educational resource to the women of the Boulder community.

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