University Women's Club

The University Women’s Club grew from an informal meeting held at the home of Mrs. George Norlin on December 12, 1919. The original goal was the fostering of community spirit among the women on the faculty and the wives of faculty members. For the next four years the Club met informally until its membership had grown so large that it was necessary to write a constitution and formally organize, which was done in May, 1924. From 1919 until the academic year 1973-1974 the Club was called the Faculty Women’s Club. Membership was open to women faculty, wives of faculty, including wives of graduate assistant and wives of the officers of the University Administration.

Throughout the years the Faculty Women’s Club organized several functions ranging from art and music to fashions and foreign foods in addition to the annual Christmas Ball. The Club is a service organization as well as a social one. During the academic school year of 1973-1974 the group wished to enlarge its membership to specifically include all female employees of the University, changing the name from the Faculty Women’s Club to its current name, University Women’s Club. Since the name change the club has continued to perform similar functions for the University of Colorado community and from the year of 1980-1981 has been composed of a fourteen (14) member Executive Board, ten (10) individual interest groups open to Club members and five (5) service groups to assist specific areas of the University.

In the years following the groups wishes to enlarge membership to the contrary took place. The records of the club indicate a slow decline in membership. The decades that followed showed particular committees losing membership with the remaining members transferring committees. The first club committee to cease operations was the Newcomers Group in 1973, illustrating the downturn in membership even after hopes of enlarging membership to all female employees. Next to terminate membership was the travel interest group followed by the Membership and Budget committee, and soon afterwards the Interest Group committee in 1979. By 1982, the Social committee halted all operation. The final activities appeared to have taken place in the 1990s.