Altrusa Club (Lawrence, Kansas)

The Altrusa Club of Lawrence, Kansas is a local chapter of Altrusa International, Inc. The club is a business and professional women's service organization whose members represent a diverse range of occupations and fields. The club's main goal is to work together to serve the community's needs through service projects and fundraising. The club also addresses national and international betterment through projects. Altrusa members establish professional and social contacts with women outside their own professions. Members are classified according to their respective professions or fields and are selected for membership by invitation.

The Lawrence chapter was founded on November 7, 1951, with nineteen members.

Hazel Lee Simmons was the club's first president. Lawrence Altrusa members continue to be active in a variety of local service projects, including Douglas County Hospice, Meals on Wheels, the Salvation Army, and several women's shelters.

One of the club's earliest service projects was the organization of Lawrence Memorial Hospital's first snack bar on May 10, 1957. A more recent project was the implementation of the Vials for Life program in Lawrence in 1983. Participants of this program are able to store vital personal and medical information in a plastic vial, which is in turn readily accessible to emergency personnel should a medical emergency arise. In 1988 the club nominated this project for the Mamie L. Bass Service Award, which is a national Altrusa award honoring a local chapter's achievements in community service.

The Lawrence chapter continually participates in local literacy-related projects and provides financial aid for women from Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American countries to pursue graduate studies at the University of Kansas. Furthering literacy and educational opportunities for women are goals of many local clubs.

Nationally, the first Altrusa Club was founded in 1917 in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1935 the National Association of Altrusa Clubs voted to become an international women's organization and changed its name to Altrusa International, Inc. in 1949. Clubs currently exist in thirty-eight states and seventeen countries, including Canada, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The clubs are divided geographically into fifteen districts. The Lawrence chapter is a member of District Eight, which includes clubs in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. District, national, and international conferences are held annually. The international Altrusa headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois.

From the guide to the Records of the Altrusa Club, 1951-2008, 1951-2008, (University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library Kansas Collection)