The largest voluntary association of women in the state, the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs (TFWC) was founded in 1897 to combine the efforts of existing women’s literary clubs around the state. Since then, the scope of the TFWC’s work has expanded to include the promotion of improvements in education, natural resource conservation, domestic issues, public affairs, international affairs, the arts, and Texas heritage. The organization’s first few decades were a time of great activism as it fought for many of the reforms of the Progressive movement, including child labor legislation, public health and humane prisons.
Source:
Seaholm, Megan. “
Comprising a memorandum, newspaper clippings, and a handbook, the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs Scrapbook, 1926, 1939-1940, documents the organization’s involvement in prison reform, structure, and activities. The handbook (1939-1940) details the TFWC’s bylaws, leadership, meetings, and deliberations. The scrapbook concerns a constitutional amendment to enact Texas prison reform and contains a memorandum stating the TFWC’s support for the amendment as well as articles from Texas newspapers related to the cause. Additionally, a 1940 clipping discusses an art exhibition sponsored by the federation.
This collection is open for research use.
Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs Scrapbook, 1926, 1939-1940, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s “History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project,” 2009-2011.