# Houston Heights Woman's Club

The Houston Heights Woman's Club was organized in 1900 to support any literary and scientific undertaking; the maintenance of a library; and the promotion of painting, music and other fine arts. When founding members of the Club adopted a Constitution and By-Laws in 1905, they included to "aid and encourage charitable and educational interests of Houston Heights" as an important part of the Club's purpose.
The original group, now known as the Houston Heights Woman's Club-Heritage Group, is still strong after 100 years. Generations of these friendly and community-oriented women have contributed to the history of the Heights and greater Houston since 1900, and served in the forefront of Women's issues since. They gather regularly for meetings and potluck luncheons, and enjoy various other activities throughout the year including community service projects, charitable fundraisers, outings, and social events.
In 2007 the Houston Heights Woman's Club-Evening Group was founded.

## History

The Houston Heights Woman's Club (HHWC) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to preserve the historical integrity of the Club and its clubhouse, and provide social and charitable opportunities for its members.
The Houston Heights Woman's Club was founded in 1900, part of the larger women's club movement across the country. What began as the Houston Heights Literary Club soon outgrew the parlors of its members. In 1912, the Clubhouse at 1846 Harvard became the official home of the Houston Heights Woman's Club. This Club would become part of the very fabric of the Heights neighborhood. Through volunteerism and social activities, generations of members have kept the legacy of the HHWC alive.
| President | Year |
| Mrs. D.D. Cooley | 1911–12 |
| Mrs. W.A. Renn | 1912–14 |
| Miss Ella McKinney | 1914–15 |
| Mrs. A.B. Sealdon | 1915–18 |
| Mrs. J.S. Purdy | 1918–20 |
| Mrs. B.F. Coop | 1920–22 |
| Mrs. C.A. McKinney | 1924–26 |
| Mrs. John Rose | 1926–28 |
| Mrs. O.F. Gordon | 1928–30 |
| Mrs. W.J. Roland | 1930–32 |
| Mrs. W.B. Welling | 1932–35 |
| Mrs. H.L. Phillips | 1935–37 |
| Mrs. T.B. Reed | 1937–39 |
| Mrs. C.H. Wilson | 1939–41 |
| Mrs. Frank Clappart | 1941–43 |

## Club Collect

By Mary Stewart, 1904*
Keep us O God from pettiness; Let us be large in thought, in word and in deed. Let us be done with fault finding And leave off self-seeking. May we put away all pretenses and meet each face To face, without self-pity and without prejudice. May we never be hasty in judgment And always be generous. Let us take time for all things; Teach us to put into action our better impulses, Straightforward and unafraid. Grant that we may realize that it is the little things that Create differences, That in the big things of life we are as one. And, may we strive to touch and to know the great, Common woman's heart of us all, And, O Lord God, let us not forget to be kind.
* Written in 1904 by Mary Stewart, then a school principal. Mary said of her poem, "It was written as a prayer for the day. I called a 'Collect For Club Women' because I felt that women working together with wide interests for large ends was a new thing under the sun, and that perhaps they had a need for special petition and mediation of their own." Like many women's organizations across the country, we believe so strongly in Mary's message that we recite her poem at the start of every meeting.

## Membership

The annual fee for being a member of the club is $100 in cash/check or online payment for $103. There is no requirement to be a woman or a member of the Heights community, but the majority of the members are female and live in the Heights community and many events and activities are aimed towards women of the community.

## Achievements

| Achievement | Year | Description |
| Work with the Red Cross | World War I | The HHWC worked with the Red Cross to help during World War I by taking in soldiers and creating bandages to send to the troops. |
| Creation of the Houston Heights High School Library | 1905 | The HHWC helped to raise funds and build the new library for the community. |
| Donation to the Houston Public Library on Heights Boulevard | 1926 | The women of the club raised money and books for the new library that had opened in the Heights neighborhood. |
| Assistance in the creation of the Houston Public Library outdoor reading area | 1939 | The women of the club got back to what they thought was most powerful, literature. They decided to help the new library build a reading area outside. |
| Assistance to the Red Cross | World War II (1943-1944) | A large group of 2,669 people (members and community volunteers) worked tirelessly to provide 1,176,699 surgical bandages to the wounded soldiers during the second World War. |
| Created the Women's Studies Library Initiative | Present | The campaign is worked on in multiple libraries throughout the Heights and includes a collection of books of women's studies. |
| Helped Reagan High School prom | 2012 | The HHWC helped Reagan High School students in need. Many of the kids could not afford what they needed to go to their senior prom; the HHWC helped out by collecting and giving out dresses, tuxedos, accessories, and more. |
| School uniform drive | Present | Schools such as Hogg Middle School, Browning Elementary, Hamilton Middle School, Reagan High School, Field Elementary, Love Elementary, Harvard Elementary, and Helms Elementary are being asked to help bring in new or slightly worn uniforms; these collections will benefit the needy students at the participating Heights schools. |
| Star of Hope toiletry bags | Present | The women in the Houston Heights Woman's Club have been creating toiletry bags containing things like toothpaste, soap, etc. All the toiletry bags created by the women of the club go to impoverished women and the Houston Star of Hope Organization. |