Series 1: Historical Writings
Series 2: Legal and Financial Documents
Series 3a-j: Administrations - Correspondence and Reports
Series 4: Education Assistance
Series 5: Headquarters Building
Series 6a-c: Membership
Series 7: Printed Material
Series 8: Graphic Material
Series 9: General Federation of Women's Clubs and South Central Region
Open for research.
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Coordinator for Special Collections. Where copyright is unclear, all responsibility must be assumed by the user.
Material was collected and housed at the TFWC Headquarters until the organization designated the Woman's Collection as the repository for its archives in 1985. Material has been added on a continuing basis since that time.
Ann McGuffin Barton, Morgan Davis, and Barbara Hotinski, 1997-2007.
Ranu Singhvi, 2008
Histories of educational assistance programs including loans, grants and individual scholarships and the TFWC Research Fellowship at Texas Woman's University. TFWC Scholarships include:
TFWC was four years old in November, 1901, when the clubwomen launched their first fund-raising drive to establish a scholarship for a student who would live in the new Woman’s Building at the University of Texas. TFWC had worked in support of legislation for the $50,000.00 appropriation for this building.
The goal of $3,500.00 was reached, and in November, 1903, at the close of the Pennybacker administration, the fund was placed at the University of Texas.
The idea for the “Penny Art Fund” originated in the New Jersey Federation in 1917. Adopted by the GFWC in 1930, it has been a TFWC Project since that time. Its aim is to enrich life through the development of appreciation for art and to assist students with artistic talents.
The original plan was that each club member would contribute one penny or more each year, and some clubs still do this today; however, many clubs give considerably more than this amount each year. During the time the Texas Federation has sponsored this fund, it has been used for various purposes.
In 1941, a resolution was adopted by the TFWC Board of Directors “to promote Good Will with the Latin American Countries” by granting a scholarship to a girl from a Latin American country for study at the University of Texas in Austin.
The first beneficiary and others were financed by club contributions and the General Fund. During the administration of Mrs. J. W. Walker (President 1940-1942), clubs were asked to contribute annually to the support of this scholarship fund. At that time, the recipient received $100.00 per month and resided at TFWC Headquarters. In 1974, the TFWC State Scholarship Fund Committee voted to grant the scholarship to recipients selected by the committee. The recipient may attend any college or university in Texas.
In 1943, a resolution was introduced to establish a fund to be known as the “Musical Penny Fund” for the purpose of building an endowment for a music scholarship. In 1951, a $300.00 grant was given to Ronnie Ginn of Howard Payne College for voice training. In 1952, a scholarship grant of $200.00 per year for a period of five years was voted. After that time, the money was given to various colleges and universities.
The District Presidents who served with Eleanor Tipps during her term as state president in 1976-1978 established this scholarship in her honor.
The Billie Lindley McMahon Scholarship was a gift to Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs, presented by the clubwomen of Texas, in honor of Billie Lindley McMahon, TFWC president 1988-1990. The original amount of $5,000.00 was contributed by districts, clubs, and individuals.
In 1998, a scholarship fund was established in honor of Minnie Simmang, president 1996-1998. The scholarship, which is based on volunteer activities, is to be awarded to students who are attending accredited colleges or universities.
In 1971, the members of the Board of Directors of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs Charitable and Education Fund, Inc., unanimously voted to dissolve that corporation, and the funds from the “C & E Fund” were transferred to the TFWC State Scholarship Fund. The TFWC State Scholarship Fund Committee voted to award one or more scholarships annually based on the amount of interestaccrued in this fund. The scholarships are alternated among the district, and the recipient must be attending a college or university.
The TFWC State Scholarship Fund Committee is composed of one representative from each of the fourteen districts in the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs, the State President, and the State Treasurer.
The 31st Annual Convention in Denton in 1928 voted to set up the Fannie C. Potter Scholarship at Texas State College for Women (TWU) from one-half of the residue of funds raised for the General Federation Convention held in San Antonio in June of that year. A total of $25,000.00 had been raised, and the expenses were $18,815.00. In 1945, the principal which had been on deposit in the Federation Treasury, was handed to the College, and the fund increased to an amount of $4,000.00 from an accumulation of unused interest.
As the administration project of Mrs. A. J. House (President 1956-1958), contributions were made for a scholarship fund to the memory of her only child, Dorothy House Vieman, who died January 13, 1955. Because of Mrs. Vieman’s interest in the education of Oriental women, this scholarship is designated for women of this ethnic group.
This scholarship was the administration project of Mrs. Ben W. Boyd (President 1958 - 1960) who wished to relieve the critical shortage of nurses and to encourage the best qualified high school graduates to enroll in collegiate programs of nursing.