The Woman's Club of Wisconsin was created in 1876 by a group of woman looking to enrich
their lives with various social, intellectual, and philanthropic pursuits. They established
the second club of its kind in the United States, the first being the Woman's Club of New
England. In addition to this accomplishment, these founding women also created the very
first all-women's stock company in the country. According to its mission statement, "The
Woman's Club of Wisconsin is a private club providing its members with philanthropic,
cultural, educational, and social activities. The club is dedicated to the support of, and
involvement in, community service. The club is also committed to the preservation of its
registered landmark building."
The collection includes many of the documents that went into celebration of the club's
125th anniversary in 2001, which led to the creation of the book, A
Club of Their Own. This book chronicles the club's history and gave birth to the
project undertaken by the history committee to gather and organize the club's records so
that members of the club, as well as the community, can have access to the history of this
pioneering organization. A Club of Their Own, is available in
the Archives. Call number: (ARC) HQ1905.W6 T88x 2000.