American Association of University Women (AAUW) records

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a national association of college educated and faculty women interested in the development of women’s education and of professional opportunities for women. The association was organized in 1882 as the American Collegiate Association by a small group of women in Boston to unite the alumnae of different institutions for the promotion of education and maintenance of high educational standards. In 1921, the membership voted to change its name to coincide with its constituency and more specific interests. The AAUW is a member of the International Federation of University Women.

The organization of the Boulder Branch was largely through the efforts of Antoinette Bigelow, Dean of Women at the University of Colorado. A member of the American Collegiate Association, Dean Bigelow hosted a banquet for ACA officers at C.U. when the Denver Branch sponsored the national convention in 1910. As a result, C.U. qualified in 1912 as an ACA approved institution. It was not until 1926 that a branch was organized in Boulder.