Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-16
Volunteers Run
Alexandria's
Day Care Center
Credit for Organizing
Group Is Givem to
Mrs. r. p. Davidson
Bv Helen Rau.

BY Helen KaN.
The "a women who have pledged
themselves to staff Alexandria's day
care centers are an outstanding
group of volunteers, and credit for
their organization goes to Mrs. Rich
ard Porter Davidson, q veteran in
placing and directing volunteers.
Mrs. Davidson, who has directed all
her energies to a program which
she considers of the. utmost i'm
portance, declares:
1.-THE proper psychology in han
ding these children can better the
setup of the American home. We
are not trying to get the children
away from their homes but we will
send them back rested and happy at
the end of each day so that their
parents can get real pleasure out
Of them"
The centers planned to care for
the children of working mothers in
Alexandria will be under the super
vision of a professional director and
a paid teacher for each center but
only with the help of volunteers can
they hope to exist.
Mrs. Davidson has been associated
with the project since its inception
and has taken complete charge of
interviewing and placing volunteers.
A comprehensive QUESTIONABLE,
personal interviews and orientation
lectures have resulted in the or
ganzation of an unusual group of
women who have already done
preparatory work in planning the
program and gathering equipment
and will work regular hours in the
centers when they open in the very
near future.
Mrs. Davidson was enthusiastic in
telling about the group of volun-
teers who will probably number so
before the centers open.
Young Mrs. Ogden Ludlow, the
bride of Navy Department official,
is Mrs. Davidson's assistant and
works full time interviewing and
classifying workers.
Mrs. Hugo Black, wife of the
Supreme Court justice; Mrs. Max.
we'll Hamilton, whose husband is
with the State Department, and
Mrs. Gerhard van Arkel, wife of a
Government attorney, are on the
list of workers.
The Army is represented by Mrs.
E. F.. Connely and Mrs. Edgar de
Mules, the Navy and Coast Guard
by Mrs. c. Lyman and Mrs. H. D.
Tonks, while Mrs. George B. ENEMY
is the wife of a War Department
official and Mrs John Middleton's
husband is in the surgeon generals
Office.
Natives of Alexandria are also on
the list and are represented by Mrs.
Albert Smoot. whose husband is
chairman Of the Day Care Commit
tee: Mrs. Ernest A. de Bordenave.
wife of the rector of St. Paul's
Church, where one of the centers Is
to be located; Mrs. Milton Carr Fer
guson and Mrs. J. D. Matthew.
Mrs. Davidson is well equipped to
handle the task Of directing the VOL
unteer work, and her success in
other ventures augurs we'll for the
program.
The former Betty Hanna, oldest
granddaughter of Mark Hanna, Mrs.
Davidson was decorated by the
French government during the last
war when, at the age of IA, she
organized and ran recreation room
for wounded soldiers in Dinard.
After her return to America she
did volunteer work in boarding
school and later gained experience
in social service work in New York
and Washington.
Following her marriage to Richard
Porter Davidson, son of the late
Bradley Davidson, she organized AZ
soup kitchens in Moore County,
N. c.; took charge of placing chill
dren for the New York Tribunes
fresh-air fund in Cooperstown,
N. Y. and recently was active in the
Washington branch of the Ameri-
can Women's Voluntary Services.
The mother of two daughters,
Mrs. Davidson keeps regular Office
hours in her home in Alexandria, at
tends all the meetings of the Day
Care Committee and keeps in close
touch with the professional directors
and OCD sponsors of the program
so this vital work can be carried on
with efficiency as we'll as an under
standing of the problems of the
women whose children will he cared
for in the centers.