The Faculty Wives Club (FWC) of Ohio University was formed in the fall of 1936, with Mrs. E.B. Smith as acting president of the group. Mrs. Herman G. James was named honorary president, thus starting the tradition of giving that title to the wife of the current president of the university. At the suggestion of Elizabeth Baker, the group founded the Newcomers Club in 1947. Operating separately within the FWC, the group provided guidance, opportunities to socialize and make new friends, and an informational booklet about Ohio University and the surrounding community for wives or female faculty who were in their first or second year of residency in Athens. Initially, membership in the FWC was limited to "wives of faculty members of Ohio University, active, retired, or deceased." Within the FWC existed the Dames Club and the Newcomers Club (NC). The NC was open to wives who had been in residence for less than two years. During the 1964-1965 school year, the definition of the FWC was extended to include the wives of administrative officers and those of members of the O.U. Board of Trustees, but it was not until the early 1970s-nearly 40 years after the club's founding-that membership was open to not only wives, but to female faculty, administrators, and Board of Trustees members. It was at this time that the group changed its name to the Ohio University Women's Club (OUWC), the name it still goes as of 2009. Both the FWC and OUWC have provided members with the opportunity to take day trips, experience other cultures, and socialize in a variety of settings. However, it has served not only its own interest, but the needs of others as well. Charitable undertakings such as their work with veterans' hospitals have provided the women of Ohio University with opportunities to impact the lives of those both within and beyond the local community.
From the guide to the Ohio University Women's Club records, 1936-1994, (Ohio University)
