History:  History of the Catholic Woman's Club, Eau Claire, WI, 1922

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Catholic Woman's Club Lists Benevolence as Goal

    "For benevolent, charitable, and reformatory purposes, with the
special object of creating an organized center of thought and action
among women and for the promotion of social, educational, literary and
artistic growth, and whatever relates to the best interests of society
generally," the Catholic Woman's Club of Eau Claire was organized in
1922.
    Organized by Mrs. Roy P. Wilcox and Miss Katherine Williams of
Milwaukee, who later became president of the National Council of
Catholic Women, the first meeting was held Feb. 4, 1922 at the Knights
of Columbus Hall.  Mrs. Wilcox served as chairman and Mrs. Margaret
Ripley served as secretary.
    The Catholic Woman's Club was originally comprised of St. Patrick's,
Sacred Heart, and St. Mary's parishes along with the Catholic women of
Altoona and the vicinity.  Today the club encompasses the parishes of
Sacred Heart, St. Patrick's, St. James the Greater, Immaculate
Conception, St. Olaf's and St. Mary's of Altoona.
    The organization is affiliated with the National Council of Catholic
Women, the Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women, and the LaCrosse
Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.  It is represented on the Cancer
Research Committee of the State Board of Health; and holds, or has held,
memberships in the National Council of Social Agencies, National
Catholic School of Social Service, Wisconsin Council of Social Work, Eau
Claire Visiting Nurse Association, and the Eau Claire County Unit of the
Disabled.
    Departmental and study club work is conducted by the literature,
social welfare, pre-school child study, and adolescent child study
departments.  A Junior League was organized in 1936.
    Since its organization the club has donated time and money to a
variety of causes.  Included are the Far East Relief, the Red Cross, the
Salvation Army, the Mary Connor Memorial Loan Fund, the Eau
Claire-Chippewa Falls Memorial Highway, Chippewa and Mohawk Indian
Missions, and religious articles for C.C.C. camps.  Contributions are
also made to the United Fund Drive which was formerly referred to as the
Community Chest, and to other groups.
    The club has maintained a $200 educational loan fund and has
sponsored music, essay, conservation contests for children in the Eau
Claire community.
    In May, 1936, the club was hostess to the Wisconsin Council of
Catholic Women and annually hosts affiliated clubs in the Tenth
District.
    The Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women had its inception in Madison
in August, 1916.  It has the distinction of being the first organization
of its kind in the United States, was founded by Mary Connor, then
president of the Madison Catholic Woman's Club.  Miss Connor's
activities were of many kinds.  As a faithful Catholic she was untiring
in her duties as a citizen and was active in the civic affairs of
Madison.  By becoming involved in these affairs she realized that
Catholic women, if fully organized into a federation, could become very
instrumental to the church.
    With this objective in mind she induced members of the Madison club
into inviting the presidents of the 10 known clubs within the state to
Madison for the formulation of such a federation.  There were three such
groups in Milwaukee, two in Kenosha, one each in Baraboo, Racine,
LaCrosse, Green Bay, West Bend, and Watertown.  All were primarily study
groups, and today one of the requirements for application to the
federation is that some form of study must be included in the
applicant's program.
    For the first few years, the Council was known as the "League of
Catholic Women."  Its object was and still is today to promote
fellowship among Catholic women and to secure mutual counsel on
religious, civic, educational and social activities.  The name was
Council of Catholic Women.
    As the purpose of the Council is to bring together women in
spiritual, cultural, and civic groups, it can be considered the
spokesman for the Catholic womanhood of the state, crossing parish and
diocesan lines.
    Officers for the Eau Claire Catholic Woman's Club at the present
time (1968) are Mrs. Lawrence Dexter, second vice president; Mrs. I. O.
Christensen, corresponding secretary; Mrs. Frank Zemaitis, assistant
treasurer; Mrs. John Kroll, first vice president; Mrs. Robert Branch,
recording secretary; Mrs. James Bischel, treasurer; Mrs. Eugene Doyle,
director for this year; Mrs. Gordon Gauthier, director for three years;
and Mrs. Carl M. Johnson, who is serving her second term as president.

--Taken from the Eau Claire Leader / The Daily Telegram, Progress Edition,
1968