Evening star., 1955-03-13
Continued From Page DID

Frank o. Lowden Of Illinois
is given credit for first sug-
gesting formation of the club,
after hearing comment at a
dinner party on the "forlorn"
state of congressional wives.
Mrs. James Beck Perkins,
the, wife of a New York Con-
gresham. picked up the idea
and called together what the
archives describe as "25 of the
mighty women of official life"
Among them were Mrs.
Charles w. Fairbanks. wife of
the Vice President, and Miss
Helen Cannon, daughter and
official hostess for House
j Speaker Joseph G. Cannon.
and the fabulous Mrs. James
B. Henderson, whose wealthy
husband was a former Senator
from Missouri.
Mrs. Perkins was elected
president and Mrs. Henry Cab
OF Lodge, mother of the pres
ent United Nations delegate,
first vice president.
The group rented a house
at 1882 K street for $4,000 a
year. Members lent rugs. fur
niture and bric-a-brac. One
member loaned her entire sill
yer service, and sent along
her butler to keep an eye on it.
First Porty
Their first party was in
honor of President-elect Will
liam Howard Taft and his wife.
Daily teas were held. designed
to serve as a substitute for
the onerous chore of calling"
that is, leaving calling cards.
The club faced many thorny
issues during the early years.
One Of the most heated was
over who should be allowed to
join.
One group wanted member
ship limited to the immediate
families of present and former
Congressman. Others wanted
to add cabinet and Supreme
Court ladies. The first group
won at the time. But cabinet
and Supreme Court wives
have since been allowed to
join, as have women members
Of Congress.
Another memorable dispute
(the "rock on which the club
almost split" according to the
archives), was the question of
qualifications for holding Of
flee.
One group held that only
those women whose husbands
still were in Congress should
be eligible.
Bitter QuorreI
It became a public quarrel,
with much bitterness. and even
the press took sides.
The Boston American (De-
cember 80, 191D described the
election fight as the routing Of
the "Old Guard" by the "in-
surgents."
1.-THE wives, sisters and
daughters of present and past
members of the two Houses Of
Congress are lining up for the
struggle of the century in
their exclusive organization"
the article went on.
The Old Guard lost. and by
1918 the principle was estab-
lished that the presidency
should rotate every two years
between a Republican and q
Democrat-whose husband was
then in Congress.
New Clubhouse
BY 1914 the club needed
larger quarters and Mrs. Hen
derson presented it with the
lot of it's present site. She also
Endorsed two notes for $4,000
for funds to build the club
house. A wing was added many
years later.
Over the years the club has
held classes in just about ev-
erything imaginable, including
gymnastics Caught by Fran
cesca Lodge, wife of the Am
bassador designate to Spain,
John Cabot Lodge, parlia-
mentary procedure, hat max
ing, bridge, dancing, public
speaking, Spanish, art. dress
making and flower arranging.
There also have been bridge
tournaments, hobby shows.
teen-age dances. auctions, book
reviews, musieales, art exhibits
and innumerable parties and
receptions.
When the honorees permit
it, there are annual receptions
for the President, Vice Presi-
dent, Chief Justice and
Sneaker of the House.