University Woman's Club (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

The University Woman's Club was established at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1949 as an outgrowth of the University Newcomer's Club. Through teas, tours, excursions, dinners, and other activities, the club sought to foster closer social ties among university faculty wives and women staff members. The Newcomer's Club had been formed in 1939 and in 1969 became a division of the University Woman's Club. The purpose of the Newcomer's Division was to assist new faculty wives and women faculty and staff in becoming acquainted with each other, with the university, and with the Chapel Hill community. In 1987 the Newcomer's Division was disbanded and replaced by the Friends' Network and the Newcomer's Events Committee.

From the description of Records of the University Woman's Club, 1949-1996. WorldCat record id: 26993055

The Newcomer's Club of the University of North Carolina was formed in 1939. The University Woman's Club was established on 26 January 1949, as an outgrowth of the University Newcomer's Club. In 1961 the Newcomer's Club became a division of the University Woman's Club. The purpose of the division was to assist new faculty wives and women faculty in becoming acquainted with each other, with the university, and with the Chapel Hill community through teas, tours, excursions, dinners, etc. The Newcomer's Division ceased to exist in 1987. In a University Woman's Club Newsletter of February 1989, Legislative Committee Chairwoman Eleanor Godfrey explained the change as follows:

Two years ago, the Board of the University Woman's Club decided to try a new method of welcoming newcomers, which involved abolishing the Newcomer's Division as a separate entity and incorporating all newcomer's structure and activity into the main body of the club. At the April 1987 meeting, the membership approved deleting sections and phrases of the By-laws which referred to the Newcomer's Division.

Two new standing committees replaced the abolished division: the Friends Network, a group of departmental representatives responsible for identifying and welcoming newcomers to the University Woman's Club; and the Newcomer's Events Committee, which coordinated programs designed to introduce new and prospective members to the University and to Chapel Hill. Put in practice between 1987 and 1988, these modifications were added to the By-laws of the University Woman's Club and approved by the membership on 12 April 1989.

In the spring of 1990, the club appointed a committee to review membership criteria, which had previously included only EPA employees or their wives. Following the recommendations of the committee, the club began extending invitation to membership to all permanent employees or their wives.

From the guide to the University Woman's Club of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1949-2008, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. University Archives.)