The purpose of the University of Virginia Women's Club is to promote sociability among its members and to be of service to the University community. The University of Virginia Women's Club was founded in 1948 as The Faculty Wives Club of the University of Virginia. The name was changed on May 6, 1991 to The University of Virginia Women's Club to more accurately reflect the current membership which is no longer limited to faculty wives.  

In 1948, there were 24 founding members. A letter was sent to Faculty Wives of the University in February of 1948. The letter said that since the University had become so large and scattered, the time had come, they admitted somewhat belatedly, to form a club for faculty wives so that they would have an opportunity to know each other. Mrs. Colgate Darden, Jr. consented to act as Honorary President, if and when a club was formed. It was suggested that there be 5 meetings a year and NO PROGRAMS -- just tea and talk. The dues would be nominal. At this first meeting Robert's Rules of Order would be followed. The temporary chairman would ask for drafts of a proposed constitution and by-laws, and the nomination of officers for the year. It would not be a long meeting. It would be on Feb. 24, 1948 at Madison Hall at 3:30 p.m.

There were 125 ladies who met on Feb. 24. An article in the paper stated that the Faculty Wives Club of the University of Virginia was formed and that it was a purely social group that would have 5 meetings a year. Ann Vaughan, Mrs. Joseph L. Vaughan was elected president.

Mrs. Colgate Darden, Jr. held the first social event, a tea, on April 20. In the invitation to this event it was said that because of the expense of sending out notices to such a large group, future notices would be sent only to those members who had paid their dues. Annual dues were $2.00. A Garden Party was held in July to honor the wives of the visiting Summer School Faculty.

The UVa. Women's Club celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 3, 1999 honoring the club's presidents. Of the 50 past presidents, 28 attended the luncheon celebrating the club's history.

 

The Founding Members were:

Mrs. Vincent W. Archer

Mrs. Albert G. A. Balz

Mrs. Jesse W. Beams

Mrs. McLemore Birdsong

Mrs. T. Munford Boyd

Mrs. Harry Clemons

Mrs. Colgate W. Darden, Jr.

Mrs. Frank A. Geldard

Mrs. Oron J. Hale

Mrs. Archibald A. Hill

Mrs. Chapin Jones

Mrs. Elbert A. Kincaid

Mrs. Francis G. Lankford

Mrs. Ivey F. Lewis

Mrs. W. Roy Mason, Jr.

Mrs. L. Gaston Moffat

Mrs. Ernest J. Oglesby

Mrs. Sidman P. Poole

Mrs. John J. Ritchie III

Mrs. Edward W. Saunders

Mrs. Dudley C. Smith

Mrs. William R. Smithey

Mrs. Tipton R. Snavely

Mrs. Joseph Vaughan

 
Past Presidents

Mrs.Joseph Vaughan*

1948-1949

Mrs. Gordon T. Whyburn

1949-1950

Mrs.Carl Speidel*

1950-1951

Mrs. Richard Henneman

1951-1952

Mrs.Ladley Husted*

1952-1953

Mrs. Kenneth Redden

1953-1954

Mrs.Truman Botts (1)

1954-1955

Mrs. Jacques Rappaport*

1955-1956

Mrs. Edward Younger

1956-1957

Mrs. Vincent Shea

1957-1958

Mrs. Raymond Edmundson

1958-1959

Mrs. John Wyllie

1959-1960

Mrs. George Zehmer (2)

1960-1961

Mrs. Norman Thornton*

1961-1962

Mrs. Frederick Morton (Betty)*

1962-1963

Mrs. Ralph W. Cherry

1963-1964

Mrs. Charles C. Abbott

1964-1965

Mrs. Lawrence R. Quarles

1965-1966

Mrs. Irby B. Cauthen, Jr.

1966-1967

Mrs. Robert M. MacLeod (3)

1967-1968

Mrs. James H. Bash

1968-1969

Mrs. Frank S. Kaulback, Jr.

1969-1970

Mrs. Neill H. Alford, Jr.

1970-1971

Mrs. John E. Scott, Jr.

1971-1972

Mrs. Ernest H. Ern

1972-1973

Mrs. Frederick Cyphert

1973-1974

Mrs. Daniel J. Meador

1974-1975

Mrs. Robert L. Ellison

1975-1976

Mrs. Edwin E. Floyd

1976-1977

Mrs. Ralph A. Lowry

1977-1978

Mrs. Samuel E. Miller

1978-1979

Mrs. Eugene F. Corrigan

1979-1980

Mrs. C. Steward Sheppard

1980-1981

Mrs. Larry E. Decker

1981-1982

Mrs. Benjamin C. Howland

1982-1983

Mrs. Emerson Spies (4)

1983-1984

Mrs. John A. Armitage

1984-1985

Mrs. Ralph J. Stoudt, Jr.

1985-1986

Mrs. Joseph E. Gibson*

1986-1987

Mrs. Harrison W. Burgess

1987-1988

Mrs. Robert H. Trent

1988-1989

Mrs. Emmett B. Ford, Jr.

1989-1990

Mrs. Edward R. Ford

1990-1991

Mrs. Ray C. Hunt, Jr.

1991-1992

Mrs. Paul B. Underwood

1992-1993

Mrs. Melvin Cherno

1993-1994

Mrs. Theodore Caplow

1994-1995

Mrs. Paul VandenBout

1995-1996

Mrs. William G. Shenkir

1996-1997

Mrs. James Tiedeman

1997-1998

Mrs. Terry Holland

1998-1999

Mrs. Jerry G. Short

1999-2000

Mrs. James Patterson 2000-2001 Mrs. Louise Smith 2001-2002
Mrs. A. E. Dick Howard 2002-2003 Mrs. Adrian Gear 2003-2004
Kris Bean 2004-2005 Mrs. John P. O'Connell 2005-2006
Mrs. James Marshall

2006-2007

 Mrs.Robert MacWright 2007-2008
Mrs.Bascom Deaver 2008-2009 Mrs. Hans Weber 2009-2010

1. Married David C. Yalden-Thomson in 1961
2. Married Oron J. Hale in 1970
3. Muffie MacLeod
4. Mrs. James Dunstan
* Deceased


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Last updated September 17, 2010