The first College Dames of F.S.C.W. event of which we have a record and to which special guests were invited was “Tony Sarg’s Marionettes” performing “Treasure Island” in late 1927 or early 1928. The Club made a profit of $568.15 and began to make loans of not more than $50 to senior students. In 1929 this became the Conradi Fund, which continued for more than 20 years.

The tradition of the President’s wife hostessing the opening meeting in the fall began in 1942 and continued until the mid-1990s.

The records are missing for the years prior to 1944, but in 1944 there were 60 members and dues were 50 cents a year. Members conducted bond drives and worked in canteens but there was not much social activity with only a Christmas party and a very formal luncheon for the Governor’s wife, which cost 88 cents per person.

During World War II, the Club was very involved in protecting the live oak trees on Calhoun Street – from something. However, the first committee chairwoman was appointed during this time and her job was called “Flowers.”

In 1945 it was realized that the Club’s name was being confused with a national organization for the wives of students so the name of this group was changed to “Faculty Wives of F.S.C.W.”

By 1947 the Club was becoming more businesslike with larger reports, dues being raised again and a proposal made to form an executive committee. The social calendar was growing to include events such as a St. Patrick’s Day Party and a picnic (at a place called Orchard Pond). With 120 members they could no longer meet in private homes. For many years, the Club then used rooms in the Student Union, free of charge, for large meetings. It is obvious why the name was changed again in 1947 to “Faculty Wives of F.S.U.”

What is now the Club’s mainstay, the interest groups, were started in 1949-50, as was the Newcomers’ Club. The members were involved in collecting clothing for Korea and working for the Red Cross and at blood banks. Dues were up to $1.00!

In 1952 faculty women and wives of staff were invited to join the Club even though the name was unchanged. In 1954 this was remedied by changing the name to “University Wives Club.” As some members were not wives, the name was corrected in 1962 to the “University Womens Club.”

There were 345 members in 1954. There was a full schedule of monthly programs at which everyone wore hats and gloves, including the baby sitters. The year 1956 records 550 members (the most on record) and seven interest groups. The Club was now a well-organized social group with elected officers, an executive board and an executive committee. During the preceding years, the constitution had been updated several times.

The Conradi Loan Fund to students was still in existence but, due to defaults on loans, which had occurred almost since the inception of the fund, it was becoming harder and harder to maintain an adequate balance. By 1972, with 482 members, the Club decided to switch to giving monies to the Southern Scholarship Foundation and pledged $3,500 over a seven-year period.

Until 1967 it was very rare to find the first name of members in any records, and there were hundreds of names of women serving on countless committees for the last 40 years. This had always been a club of women who were nearly all “Mrs. Somebody.” All at once, the names were reported as “Inez Johnson”, “Clifton Quinly”, etc. Also, about this time the coverage in the local newspaper of the social events, which had always been excellent, declined drastically.

By the 1970s, the membership had pretty well stabilized at about 350 members each year. There were many well-attended monthly events and interest group meetings. It was noted that the best attended of both types of meetings were those where the husbands were involved, and a survey of the members had requests for events where husbands could participate.

There were even a few men who became members and gave programs for the interest groups. More men were expressing an interest in being active participants. Most were enjoying the benefits of membership without contributing either work or funds.

There were discussions, proposals, polls taken and meetings held over a three-year period involving most of the members in some way. Finally in April 1984, the Club became “The University Club of F.S.U.” Men now could become paying, working and voting members. Dues were now $8.00 for one person and $12.00 for two members in one family.

After 1984 there was a slow but steady increase in general participation by men. They were paying, voting and serving on committees. By 1989-90, there were male Board members (i.e., Recording Secretary, Treasurer) but most of the positions were still held by women. The Globetrotters, the largest interest group and one in which men had always been involved, was being chaired by men. There had been no drastic changes in the Club because men were involved, as some had feared.

The Club was functioning well, and the format of programs seemed stabilized. Periodic polls were taken to learn what special programs were of interest; the results were incorporated into the planning of eight to ten monthly programs during the academic year. There were four meetings that were necessary or had become “tradition.” They were the Annual Fall Reception, The Holiday Reception, The Billy Bowlegs 5K Run (a fundraiser “run” by a man since its inception in 1984), and the Annual Meeting.

The other four to six meetings varied from year-to-year. There were theater and opera parties with dinners, tours of special facilities on campus and elsewhere, chili suppers, dances, lectures, fashion shows, home tours – whatever appealed and was possible to do!

The mainstay for many years has been the interest groups. These too vary from year-to-year as interests change and fads come and go. There are usually about 12 -15 groups available each year. Any member can suggest and organize a new group by offering it at the fall reception. Again, there are several groups that have kept meeting. The oldest of these are book groups, bridge groups and Globetrotter groups. As the interests of members change, so do the group activities. The other groups range from good food to flower arranging to foreign language usage to exercise or anything else you can think of as a group activity.

The number of members for 1986 through 1996 averaged about 330 members each year, counting men and women. Most of the members were active, paid their dues and participated in the variety of activities.

For a very long time, nearly every interest group and some monthly events had people attending who were not on the list of eligible members. They were friends or guests of Club members who attended meetings. Some donated to the Scholarship Fund and others helped with the work involved in meetings.

After much discussion, again over many years, the Constitution was amended in April 1996 to state that “Friends who support the aims and activities of the University Club” are eligible to become members.

The Club’s involvement in financing and giving scholarships from funds raised by the Billy Bowlegs 5K Run & 1 Mile Walk, garage sales and through donations continued to be a service focus for the Club, A Board member had the sole responsibility of finding suitable recipients and of handling any problems that might arise with the scholarship distribution.

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