Arizona republican., 1922-01-01
BY Ress M. White

On the 9th day of September, 1915,
one Of Pat Davidson's dreams came
true in the formation of the Business
Girls club, and for two years this
earnest young woman guided the new
club with such wisdom and enthu-
siasm that it became recognized as
a permanent factor in the social and
civic life Of Phoenix.
The first club headquarters was
in the old Central school building,
where a rest room and kitchen were
comfortably and attractively fur
nished, with the assistance Of the
civics department of the Woman's
club and the Civics league and rep
resentative business men and firms
that were anxious to encourage the
idea.
The next president was Chris Sat-
terwhite, elected in the fall of 1917
and at this time club become OBJ
sorbed by the Y. w. C. A, under
which supervision it remained dur
in the 191S-1919 term alsD, when its
destinies were presided oTer by Win
ME L Wise.
Club is Renamed
Activities of the club were more
or less curtailed during the war pc
riod. In the summer of 1919, how
ever, Leila NJ. Seaman was electedd
president and in July went to the
first national meeting of business
and professional women at st. Louis
with instructions to pledge the Phoe-
nix club as charter member OF the
national federation. When she re-
turned to Phoenix in the fall it was
decided to segregate the local club
] from the Y. w. c. A. and enlarge
| its scope and rename II the Business
and Professional Woman's club.
During the two years of Miss Sea-
mans presidency, the growth Of the
club in numbers and influence was
steady. To join the younger busi-
ness girls came the women of ripper
experience and more mature years,
came the musicians, the attorneys,
the teachers, the nurses, women con-
Quoting their own enterprises, and
in fact representatives of almost ev-
cry line of endeavor, and in this
gathering together of varied inter-
ests lies the secret of the broadening
effect of this club.
After the first years in which the
club was mainly concerned in grow
ingl and forming new friends, the del
egates to the national conventions
] bNoeAh SOlAtlAlS td@n NNe1l WIN
the inspiration and experience of the
clubs of the north, the south, the
east and west coasts. and the middle
states, and the policies of the club
became more definite. When Mrs
May Belle Craig gave her vivid i'm
pressions of the Cleveland conven-
ton in September 1921, the Busi-
ness and Professional Woman's clut
of Phoenix decided to prepare foi
an enlarged future, first by incor-
porating under the laws of the state
of Arizona and to lay plans for add
ing to the fund started last sprinG
for a permanent club home. On the
roll Of the newly incorporated club
are found these names which were
listed among the charter members oi
the 1915 club: Ruth M. Cooke, Zoe
Hiatt. Ellen A. Cooper. Carrie NJ
Schoff, Mary Fiezman. Leila M. Sea-
man and Winnie'L. Wise.
Officers of Club
For the year 1921-1922 the officers
are May Belle Craig, president Alice
s. Hine, vice president; Mai n. Free
man, recording secretary: Ruth NJ
Cooke, corresponding secretary; Mar.
} garet NJ. Hartline. treasurer,
; Winnie l.. Wise, auditor The ex.
ecutive board is composed oi
Ellen A. Copper, chairman; Grace C
Yarwood, Lillian +. Cronin, Harriet
, Jean Oliver and Leila NJ Seaman.
Downtown headquarters were agar
established in October, 1921, a large