Sorosis Club rules in 1869 Sorosis was the first professional

women's club The woman's club movement was a social movement that took place throughout the United States that established the idea that women had a moral duty and responsibility to transform public policy. While women's organizations had always been a par ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was established in March 1868 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

History

The club was organized in

with 12 members in March 1868, by

Jane Cunningham Croly Jane Cunningham Croly (December 19, 1829 – December 23, 1901) was a British-born American author and journalist, better known by her pseudonym, Jennie June. She was a pioneer author and editor of women's columns in leading newspapers and magaz ...

.''The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge'', vol. 2, 1920, p. 466. Among its founding members were Josephine Pollard, a children's author, and Fanny Fern, a popular columnist who had been angered at newspaper women being excluded from the all-male New York Press Club when it had an honorary dinner for the author

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

the month before. Sorosis was incorporated in January 1869.

Alice Cary Alice Cary (April 26, 1820February 12, 1871) was an American poet, and the older sister of fellow poet Phoebe Cary (1824–1871). Biography Alice Cary was born on April 26, 1820, in Mount Healthy, Ohio, off the Miami River near Cincinnati. He ...

was the first president. Within one year, Sorosis had 83 members. Along with Boston's New England Woman's Club (also founded in 1868), Sorosis inspired the formation of women's clubs across the country. Sorosis is a latinate word meaning 'aggregation' (from the Greek ''sōros'', meaning ‘heap’). Its object was to further the educational and social activities of women by bringing representative women of accomplishment in

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, and kindred pursuits. Early members of Sorosis were participants in varied professions and political reform movements such as abolitionism, suffrage, prison reform, temperance and peace. Sorosis expanded into local chapters beyond New York City in the early twentieth century and the various chapters went on to organize war relief efforts during both World Wars. Peacetime activities included philanthropy (such as support for funding the MacDowell Colony), scholarship funds, and social reforms (such as literary training for immigrant women). In later years, Sorosis focused its activities on local projects, raising money for the aid of other women's clubs, funding scholarships for women, and aiding local rescue missions. Sorosis was among the 63 clubs that formed the General Federation of Women's Clubs in 1890. The University of Texas at San Antonio houses a collection of records for the San Antonio chapter of Sorosis. The collection spans the years 1923 through 1991 and provides information about the club's members and activities primarily through minutes, photographs, scrapbooks and yearbooks.

Notable members

* Elizabeth Akers Allen, poet and journalist *

Celia M. Burleigh Celia M. Burleigh (September 18, 1826 – July 25, 1875) (also Celia Burleigh, Celia C. Burleigh, Celia M. Tibbitts, Celia M. Kellum, Celia M. Burr, and Celia C. Burr Burleigh) was an American minister, writer, public speaker, and women's rights ...

, activist for women's rights. *

, first president of Sorosis *

R. Belle Colver Rhoda Belle Colver (October 3, 1882 - January 24, 1977) was the Club Editor of ''The Spokesman-Review'' in Spokane. Early life Rhoda Belle Colver was born in Missouri Valley, Iowa, on October 3, 1882, the daughter of James E. (1859-1915) and Em ...

, Spokane *

, first vice-president of Sorosis * Emily Faithfull, honorary foreign member * Fanny Fern, columnist *

Kate Field Mary Katherine Keemle "Kate" Field ( pen name, Straws, Jr.; October 1, 1838 – May 19, 1896) was an American journalist, correspondent, editor, lecturer, and actress, of eccentric talent. She never married. She seemed ready to give an opinio ...

, first corresponding secretary of Sorosis * Fannie Smith Goble, president and treasurer of Spokane Sorosis Club *

Phebe Ann Coffin Hanaford Phebe Ann Coffin Hanaford (May 6, 1829 — June 2, 1921) was a Christian Universalist minister and biographer who was active in championing universal suffrage and women's rights. She was the first woman ordained as a Universalist minister in Ne ...

, minister and suffragist *

Sophia Curtiss Hoffman Sophia Curtiss Hoffman (, Curtiss; also known as, Mrs. George Hoffman; 1825 – September 12, 1905) was an American philanthropist, known as the Helen Gould of the early 1870s. She was the founder of the benevolent institution known as the Chapi ...

, philanthropist * Jennie de la Montagnie Lozier, physician, president *

Virgie McFarland Virgie Belle Smith McFarland (1877 – January 24, 1971) was instrumental in establishing the first Aberdeen Women's Exchange in 1918. Early life Virgie Belle Smith McFarland was born in 1877 in Keosauqua, Iowa, the daughter of William Dixon Smit ...

, member * Rebecca A. Morse * Jessie Fremont O'Donnell (1860–1897), writer * Josephine Pollard, children's author * Emily Warren Roebling, assistant to and wife of Washington A. Roebling, Brooklyn Bridge Chief Engineer * Kate Funk Simpson * Isabel Elizabeth Smith, chairman of the art committee * May Riley Smith, poet, president of the club 1911-1915, honorary president 1919-1927 * M. Louise Thomas (1822-1907), fourth president * Phoebe Jane Babcock Wait, physician

References

External links

University of Texas collection of records
for the San Antonio chapter of Sorosis (1923–1991)
Sorosis records
at the

Sophia Smith Collection The Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College is an internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, photographs, periodicals and other primary sources in women's history. General One of the largest recognized repositories of manuscripts, ar ...

, Smith College Special Collections
Article about Sorosis
at About.com {{Authority control

Sorosis Sorosis Club rules in 1869 Sorosis was the first professional women's club in the United States. It was established in March 1868 in New York City. History The club was organized in New York City with 12 members in March 1868, by Jane Cunningham ...

History of women in New York City Women's clubs in the United States

History

Notable members

See also

References

Further reading

External links