Evening star., 1925-10-11

Revolution, the largest WON
Il ans patriotic organization IL
the world, celebrates today the
thirty-fifth anniversary of its organi
2ation, which took place in the city OF
Washington on October IL, 1890.
This memorable event in the history
of American womanhood took place
in the old Strathmore Arms, at s1(
Twelfth street, then the home of Mrs
Mary s. Lockwood. the Little Mother
Of the ID. A. r." and eighteen womer
present.
On August 9. 1890, three Washing
Ton women, Miss Mary Desha, Mrs
Ellen Hardin Walworth and Miss Eu
Eenia Washington, had met at the
Langham Hotel, Washington. in the
apartments of Mrs. Walworth and
founded the society Of the Daughters
of the American Revolution. But, be
cause so many women eligible fol
membership We're out Of town, the
formal organization was postponed
until the Fall
Later, call was sent out for the
organization meeting on October IL
1890, because that date was the an
adversary of the discovery of America
by Columbus, made possible by the
royal generosity of a woman.
These first Daughters of the Amer
ican Revolution, Is in number,
present on October II. 1890. were Miss
Eugenia Washington, Mrs. Flora
Adams Darling, Mrs. Ellen Hardin
Walworth, Mrs. Mary Morris Halo
we'll, Miss Susan REVERE Hetzel, Mrs
Margaret Hetze1, Mrs. Mary V. +.
tabell, Mrs. Mary S. Lockwood, Mrs.
Alice Morrow Clark, Miss Pauline Nc
Dowell, Mrs. Ada p. Kimberly, Mrs
Aurelia Hadley Mohl, Miss F'loride
cunningham, Miss Caroline Ransom,
Mrs. Emily Sherwood, Mrs. Harriet
Lincoln Coolidge, Mrs. Jennie d. Gar
l1son and Miss Mary Desha.
Within six months Of its inception,
the d. A. K. numbered four chapters
and $50 members. Today 1t has more
than 1000 chapters in the 4S
states of the Union and the District
of Columbia. Alaska, Hawaii, the Phil
!ppines, Porto Rico. Cuba and Paris,
France, while on July 4. 1925, one
was organized in London, England,
showing the curious twists of history
for the ID. A. r. is composed of women
who can prove Iineal descent from
some patriot of 1875, who fought the
british or rendered signal service to
The colonial cause in some other man
Ner.
OF the more than $50 600 enrolled in
the society, besides those living in the
1 nited States, there are members In
Africa. Argentina. Belgium. Canada.
tentrai America, Czechoslovakfa,
Germany, India, Italy. japan. Mex
leo, Panama, Switzerland, Turkey.
and the quaint spinning wheel SYM
Dol OF the ID. A. r. has literally found
1tS way around the world
1t was felt that n woman of ma
ilonal Importance and prestige should
be the first president general. Weeks
before, 1t had been ascertained that
Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, wife of the
then President of the United States,
was eligible because of her descent
from Revolutionary patriots, and that
nS patriotic service she would ac-
"ept the office. Therefore, her name
headed the ticket that was elected
with cordial amity that October aft
ernoon.
The full election of officers was as
follows: Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, pres
ident general; Mrs. Flora Adams
Darling, vice-president in charge of
organization; Mrs. William D. Caben,
Mrs. IL. V. Boynton, Mrs. A. w.
Greely, Mrs. F. p. Sinclair, Mrs. G.
Brown Goode, Miss Mary Desha. Mrs.
w. c. Winlock and Mrs. David D,
Porter, vice presidents general; Mrs.
Ellen Hardin Walworth and Mrs. Mary
Orr Earle, secretaries general; Miss
Eugenia Washington and Mrs. Alice
NJ. Clarke, registrars; Mrs. Marshall
Mcdonald, treasurer general; Mrs.
Mary S. Lockwood, historian general;
Miss Clara Barton, surgeon general;
Mrs. Teunis Hamlin, chaplain gem
eral; and executive committee. Mrs.
William D. Cabell, Mrs. Marshall Nc
Donald. Miss Eugenia Washington,
Mrs. Margaret Hetzell, Miss Mary
Desha, Mrs. Mary S. Lockwood and
Mrs. Ellen Hardin Walworth.
IMPETUS was given the society by
Mrs. Harrison's acceptance as pres.
ident general. Her kindly interest
and cooperation continued until the
day of her death. This service Is
being commemorated now in the erac-
ton of a memorial dormitory to he
known as the Caroline Scott Harrison
Dormitory at the oxford College for
Women, Oxford. Ohio, of which her
father, DR.. John Witherspoon Scott,
was president. This is one of the
chief memorial projects of the u. A. Il.
at the present moment.
In 1875, in California, a patriotic
society known as the Sons of the
American Revolution was organized,
and a few women were admitted and
were called Daughters of the Ameri-
can Revolution. Several years elapsed
before the society was organized in
the Eastern States. Then, in 1890, at
Louisville, Ky, at n general meeting
of the Sons, the admission of women
into the society was questioned, and
action was taken denying member
ship in the society to women. Those
already members We're excluded.
This issue brought many protests,
but in truth resulted in the proposal
in Washington of Miss Eugenia
Washington, great-grandniece of
George Washington, to friend, Mrs.
Flora Adams Darling, to organize q
society of women of Revolutionary
descent. Mrs. Darling approved the
plan, but it was decided to wait until
September before furthering the move
mentS.
In giving the records of subsequent
proceedings, Mrs. Mary Moderwell
z m (