AAUW history

The forerunner of the AAUW was the Association of Collegiate Alumnae, organized by 65 young women graduates in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1882.

In 1885 they published their first research report debunking the popular myth that higher education impairs the health of women.

As a result, in 1888, the very first fellowship went to Ida Street, a pioneer in the field of early American Indian history, in the amount of $350. “It was the beginning of AAUW’s history of funding women in education,” says Gloria Blackwell, AAUW’s senior vice president.

The forerunner of the AAUW was the Association of Collegiate Alumnae, organized by 65 young women graduates in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1882. It was joined by the Western Association of Collegiate Alumnae (ACA) in 1889.

Seattle Branch was formed in 1904 with 13 charter members.

In 1909, Seattle Branch participated in the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition by constructing a social welfare exhibit under the direction of Doctor Anna Louise Strong, an early Seattle social activist.

In 1919 they helped form the International Federation of University Women, with organizations from Canada and Britain.

In 1920, AAUW identified a groundbreaking scientist they wanted to support: Madame Marie Curie.

In 1921 the ACA and the Southern Association of College Women combined to form the American Association of University Women.

By 1927, there were 10 AAUW branches in Washington, and the AAUW of Washington State organization was formed during a conference at the Monticello Hotel in Longview.

In 1928, branch member Bertha Landes was elected as Mayor of Seattle — the first woman mayor of a city of this size.

One notable recipient was Marie Curie (1931) who used her $150,000 grant to purchase a gram of radium to further her scientific research.

After Curie died in 1934, the money was passed to her daughter, Irene Joliot-Curie, who at the time was continuing her mother’s research.

In 1938 they published "The Living Wage for College Women," documenting sex discrimination in higher education.

The organization supported the formation of the United Nations and was accorded permanent observer status in 1946.

Winifred Weter - AAUW President 1949

It was the first Washington State branch of the ACA. Seattle Branch was incorporated in 1952 and is the oldest of the 33 AAUW branches in Washington State.

Seattle Branch reached its highest membership of nearly 600 members in 1954.

In 1958 the AAUW established the AAUW Educational Foundation, which awards nearly $3.5 million annually in fellowships and grants, making it the world's largest source of funding exclusively for women scholars.

In 1963, AAUW expanded its fellowship and grant program.

In 1969 the foundation established the Coretta Scott King Fund, which gives educational grants to talented but economically disadvantaged African-American women studying in specific fields.

AAUW published the groundbreaking Campus 1970: Where Do Women Stand? report, which documented widespread sexual discrimination against women at all levels of education.

In 1979, Seattle Branch celebrated its diamond jubilee.

In 1981 the AAUW established the Legal Advocacy Fund to help women students and educators fight sex discrimination at colleges and universities.

Seattle Branch participates in the Washington State Lobby Day, which has been held annually since 1984.

After she perished in the 1986 Challenger tragedy, AAUW members raised $235,000 to fund the Judith Resnik American Fellowship endowment.

In 1988, Seattle Branch conducted the first Expanding Your Horizons Conference in Science and Mathematics, which encouraged middle school girls to study those fields by participating in hands-on workshops led by women in STEM careers.

While the loan program was discontinued in 1998, Seattle Branch has maintained education funding as a priority.

In 2004, Seattle Branch held a 100th birthday celebration gala at the Women’s University Club.

In 2013, AAUW’s Fellowships and Grants program celebrated its 125th anniversary of investing in women’s futures.