American Association of University Women. Mill Creek Hundred Branch (Del.)

The Mill Creek Hundred Branch of the American Association of University Women, in existence from 1972-2002, was one of eight branches of AAUW in Delaware. The American Association of University Women was formed in 1921 when the Association of Collegiate Alumnae (founded 1881) merged with the Southern Association of College Women (founded 1903). Membership is open to any woman who holds an associate, baccalaureate, or higher degree from an accredited American college or university or a foreign institution recognized by the International Federation of University Women. This national organization comprises state divisions that are made up of local branches. The first branch in Delaware began in 1923 as part of the Pennsylvania-Delaware Division. The Delaware branches broke with Pennsylvania and formed the Delaware Division on April 11, 1940.

The Mill Creek Hundred Branch formed in 1972, making it the eighth branch in the Delaware Division. Founded by a group of twelve women from the Newark and Wilmington branches, Mill Creek Hundred's membership peaked at over one hundred members. Former member Geraldine Elter described the group's participants as young women who "had young children and stayed home to take care of them." (F44) In a 1994 report, Elter further described the distinctive qualities of Mill Creek: "The Wilmington Branch was too big ... The Newark Branch was strongly affiliated with the University of Delaware ... Mill Creek was thought to be just the right combination of ages, interests, children, community involvement, etc." (F44)

The Mill Creek Hundred Branch had several long-term projects and ongoing events including the Book Sale, the Candidate's Forum, and the May Dinner. The annual Book Sale in November usually enjoyed profits of over three thousand dollars, but a shrinking volunteer base ended the event around 1990. In election years, the group sponsored a "Candidate's Forum" which was open to the public and well-attended by public officials. The annual May Dinner at the end of the AAUW year was a time for members to celebrate and present the annual Named Gift Award, a five hundred dollar contribution to the Educational Foundation Program in honor of a member who had shown outstanding service to the branch. In later years it was replaced by the Donor Dinner or Donor Tea.

As with all AAUW branches, Mill Creek Hundred had a variety of study groups including Gourmet Cooking, Bridge, Great Decisions, Gardens, Early Childhood, Books, Public Policy, Needlework, Craft, and the Couples' Discussion Group. The branch members also worked on projects involving battered wives' shelters, teenage pregnancy, scholarships to Goldey Beacom College, local school grants, transportation for cancer patients, and childcare. They were active in the AAUW Delaware Division's Legislative Day and United Nations Day, made displays for Women's History Month, and participated in Newark Community Days.

In its last years of existence, the Mill Creek Hundred Branch suffered from low membership, dropping from over one hundred twenty members to less than fifty in a ten year period. This led to the cancellation of major projects, annual events, and study groups. Some members cited increasing numbers of working women and grown children as reasons for shrinking participation. Others thought that the national AAUW had "become too political" and dues were too high. Geraldine Elter concluded that "AAUW used to provide stimulation that is now offered by other sources." (F44) The Mill Creek Branch disbanded in 2002 and members were invited to join either the Wilmington or Newark branches.

Elter, Geraldine. "A Look at the Mill Creek Hundred Branch of the American Association of University Women." May 17, 1994. (Box 1, F44) Sedwick, Helen Vincent. A History of the First Twenty Years: Delaware Division American Association of University Women, 1940–1960 Delaware State Division, American Association of University Women, 1961. Gray, Eugenia R. History of the Delaware Division of the American Association of University Women, 1960–1990 Delaware: Delaware Division, American Association of University Women, 1988. Additional information derived from the newsletters of the Mill Creek Hundred Branch as found in Series I of this collection.

From the guide to the American Association of University Women Mill Creek Hundred Branch (Del.) records, 1972–2002, (University of Delaware Library - Special Collections)