Glen Ellyn Woman's Club Celebrates 120 Years of Civic Enrichment and Philanthropic Achievement
It is autumn 1895 in the beautiful little village of Glen Ellyn with a population of 600. There are hills and dales, gardens and orchards, and a clear sparkling lake just outside of the village. A few stores supply the simple needs of the village people. A group of nine women meet on that autumn day to discuss plans to form the Glen Ellyn Study Club to be later known as the Glen Ellyn Woman's Club. Who could have seen into the future the influence and accomplishments of this group of women through 120 years.
The Glen Ellyn Woman's Club began a movement to establish a library, at a cost of $10,000. It opened on September 4, 1914. Alice Barr was the first librarian and Mrs. Francis Hooper was the president of the first Library Board. The Glen Ellyn Woman's Club raised funds to furnish the library.
They worked hard to improve the school system, organized the PTA. School playgrounds were club projects.
They urged improvements in the North Western and Aurora train station's rest rooms and better sanitary conditions. They were very active in the war efforts in both world wars.
In 1968, two members of the club helped originate the Glen Ellyn Historical Society and the club would provide all the furnishing for the ladies bedroom at Stacy's Tavern.
At many different times they have planted trees in the village and provided a monument on Arbor Day 1986 to mark the graves of Frank Johnson and his wife in the local cemetery.
Members were civic minded and influential so they either began a movement or were asked to cooperate when something of value to the village was needed
Over the years they have collected food for the two food pantries, socks for PADS, canceled stamps for the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart to sell to provided food for neglected children in Brazil, prescription bottles for the Northwest Christian Mission in Haiti, greeting cards for inmates, made favors for the Convalescent Home, and packed food for "Feed My Starving children.
New ideas have been tried for fund raising besides our Christmas Festival luncheon and silent auction. We have had Victorian teas, bingo bash, non event teas, a rummage sale, sold Carson Community coupons, fund scholarships for Glenbard West and Glenbard South High Schools, and our latest project, selling Scrip Gift Cards. Many women in Glen Ellyn and the surrounding towns have been a part of this club for many years. We have enjoyed and learned much from our informative programs. Those original few women who met 120 years ago and began what became the Glen Ellyn Woman's Club probably never dreamed of the impact the club would have on the village.