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In 1899, clubwomen established the national model for the juvenile court system.
GFWC is credited with turning the tide for passages of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.
The Ware Service Fund was established during World War I to train and send 100 young women oversees to operate or manage recreational canteens for American soldiers.
During WWII, the GFWC Headquarters was transformed into a War Service office, which distributed literature to keep women alert about war activities. Clubwomen raised over $150 million in the “Buy a Bomber” campaign and collected wedding gowns for British brides.
GFWC was at the forefront of the conservation movement, which resulted in the establishment of the Forest Reserve in 1899, and the National Park Service in 1916. Clubwomen have directly contributed to the establishment of four National Parks.
GFWC began a campaign to name official state birds and flowers in the 1920’s.
By the 1930s, women’s clubs were responsible for the establishment of 75% of the nation’s public libraries.
As early as 1944, GFWC endorsed a resolution supporting equal right and responsibilities for women.
Many modern safety measures were early GFWC programs. The Women’s Crusade for Seatbelts program, sponsored by GFWC in 1960, helped to advocate automobile safety and resulted in more than one million car seat belts installed in the course of one year.
GFWC’s founder, Jane Cunnigham Croly, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY in 1994.
GFWC fulfilled its commitment to America’s Promise by raising and donating over $13.5 million in books and materials to public libraries and public school libraries through its Libraries 2000 project (1997-2002). |