California Federation of Women's Clubs

Administrative History

The California Federation of Women's Clubs (CFWC, http://www.cfwc.org ) is part of an international community service orginization that focuses on projects that "promote education, eliminate illiteracy, encourage productive citizenship, preserve nations natural resources, encourage healthy lifestyles, fight to prevent crime, support the Arts, and contribute to international understanding". The State Federation was founded in January 17, 1900 with forty clubs, representing six thousand women. Mrs. Robert J. Burdette, Los Angeles, became the first president. Same year, in May 1900 the California Federation joined a General Federation of Women's Clubs ( http://www.gfwc.org ), the oldest women's volunteer organization in the United States. The Federation endoresed and supported the Child Labor Law, which was enacted in 1906. In that same year, the Federation urged its affiliates to give financial assistance to women seeking a higher education or industrial training and employment, giving birth to the scholarship idea. The organization also campainged for equal suffrage, which was achieved in a state constitutional amendment election in October 1911. Today this non-profit organization is divided into twenty-six districts that are governed by a president and an executive board. It's volunteer based membership covers the cities and towns across the California.

From the guide to the California Federation of Women's Clubs records, 1900-, (University of California, Santa Cruz. University Library. Special Collections and Archives)