THE WOMAN'S CLUB OF RADFORD

HISTORY

1901 - 2010

On February 25, 1901, a group of Radford ladies, hosted by Miss Julia Bullard, met to organize a new club.  Miss Bullard as a newspaper woman and a member of the Associated Press, which in itself was unusual in that day and age, had seen children from her office window in need of shoes and she hoped the ladies could help with that as well as other problems in the community.

The ladies decided to call the new organization "The Kings Daughters".  As well as providing children's shoes, they supported an East Radford blind girl at the Deaf and Blind Institute in Staunton for 6 years.  Because they met in the Circle Room of the Courthouse, they decided to shorten their name to "The Circle".

In 1904, the name was changed to "The Women's Civic Club".  The ladies at that time were very concerned about the farm animals in the city, some of which got out into the streets.  The outraged ladies were very worried about the health issues caused by the animals.   So their rallying cry became, "Get the Cows off the streets of Radford", and lo and behold, they did!

In 1916, the need for public health clinics in the rural sections of the State was deeply felt.   This became the priority for the Club.  They persuaded a University of Virginia Nursing School Graduate to come and open the first clinic at St. Albans.

In 1918, the club name was changed to "The Woman's Club of Radford" and it remains the same to this date.

During the First World War, the Woman's Club was very involved with the Red Cross, victory gardens, treasury bonds, war saving stamps, and thrift stamps.

In 1919, the Club established an emergency hospital, finding a building and cleaning it themselves, to relieve the terrible situation in Radford during the flu epidemic of 1918 - 1919.

During the Great Depression of the 1930's, the ladies held Christmas parties with the members donating gifts of new clothes for needy children.  They also donated food, milk, and clothing to needy families.  The Club also sponsored the first Girl Scout Troop program.

The Woman's Club established the Radford City Library.  In 1938, they initiated a small library in downtown Radford.  Later it moved to the American Legion Building and then into a wing of the new Federal Recreation Building in 1942 as a W.P.A. Reading room.  That was Radford's first decent library and its only library for 36 years.

One of the Club's members, Mrs. Charlotte Giesen, was the first woman elected to Radford's City Council.  Later she was elected to Virginia's General Assembly.

In 1970, newspaper recycling was chosen for the Club's project and it continues to this day.   Over the years, proceeds from newspaper recycling provided funds for various literacy projects and donations to other local nonprofits, such as the Empty Stocking Fund, Elf Shelf, Clothing Bank, and the Woman's Resource Center.

In 1972, the Radford Woman's Club became the nucleus of the newly organized Lamplighters which was dedicated to the construction of a new library.  Our club donated $1,500 to the building fund.  We coordinated our efforts with those of other service organizations to obtain a new library which became a reality in 1980.  We then helped carry the books across the street and into the new library.   We continued to support the Library, raising money to build a new Children's Wing in 1992.

In 1993, we started a project called “Babies into Books”.  A “Chunky” book is placed in the take-home packet for each baby, along with a brochure for the parents on how important it is to read to their child.   In the first year, we gave out 850 books to babies born at the Radford Community Hospital.  With the new Carilion New River Valley Medical Center taking the place of Radford Community Hospital, patients come from all over the NRV to have their babies at Carilion’s birthing center.  In 2009, we gave books to approximately 1000 babies.  This project has expanded to placing books in two of Carilion’s waiting rooms.  Children are encouraged to read there and to take a book home with them.  Over 350 books per year go home with children from these waiting rooms.

In 1995 we began a “Reading is Fundamental” Program for Radford City Schools.  We now give three books each year to the children in Radford’s kindergarten through second grades.  

As our finances permit, we award a small scholarship each year to a Radford High School graduate. 

We have raised money for these projects by fashion shows, home tours, yard sales, raffles, dinners, card parties, Bridge-A-Rama, and Kroger gift cards.  In 2009 we are hosted a two-day “Bridge Camp” at Radford University

In recent years, our primary source of income had been the recycling of the city newspapers.   In the summer of 2008, we were receiving $150 per ton for newspapers.  With the economic downturn in the fall of 2008, newspaper revenue plummeted.  Within six months it paid nothing.  The Woman’s Club has continued newspaper recycling as a public service and with the hope that it will again become a source of revenue.

The main goal of the Woman's Club of Radford continues to be fighting illiteracy in the New River Valley.  We think that our founders, such as Julia Bullard, would be pleased and proud that we have continued to serve the Community and to try to attain the lofty goals set by these remarkable and groundbreaking ladies

From 1901 until the present, the Woman’s Club of Radford continues to serve our community.

Web Designer:  Billie J. Neighbors

Email: billierules@triad.rr.com

Date Created: March 1, 1999
Last Update: May 16, 2010

Web Address: http://civic.bev.net/wcr/