“Yes, that’s right,” says current President Jean Benning with a laugh. “It’s the woman’s club, not women’s.” While now we’d state ‘women’s club,’ it seems the turn-of-the-century era preferred ‘woman’s;’ another example is the Dayton Woman’s Club, which was established in 1916. “But there definitely was — and is — more than one woman in the club! The names of early organizers and members of the club read like a roll call of early Dayton history.”
Past presidents include names that should ring a bell with native Daytonians — Salome K. Rike and Marie J. Kumkler to just name two.
The club’s historical papers are housed in the Special Collections and Archives, University Library, at Wright State University. From the writings of Charlotte Reeve Conover (daughter of the first chief of staff of then St. Elizabeth Hospital, and a writer, teacher and historian) comes several years later a description of how a group of women gathered on March 30, 1889, at the Cooper Motel, “a center of social life, to make plans for what was to be known as The Woman’s Literary Club … Looking back on our ambitions, one hardly knows when to smile and when to weep … we must stress the fact of the good influence (the club) had for Dayton. It brought to us, who at the time had so few outside contacts, some of the leading lights in the world of letter.”
In other words, women at the time had few opportunities for intellectual discourse and serious study, what’s more opportunities to share opinions and analysis of topics of the day and literature. In fact, one of the first papers presented in a meeting of The Woman’s Literary Club bears this title: “Is It Desirable That Women Should Speak in Public?”
The club became associated with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1890; that organization, still ongoing as well and headquartered in Washington, D.C., has its own fascinating history. The federation was formed by Jane Cunningham Croly in 1890; Croly had been a professional journalist writing under the pen name Jennie June in New York City. In 1868, she attempted to attend a dinner at an all-male press club in order to hear the speaker — Charles Dickens. She was denied entrance, and started a woman’s club called Sorosis. The federation now confers an annual award in her name, the Jane Cunningham Croly Award for Excellence in Journalism Covering Issues of Concern to Women.
And the very first guest speaker at the Woman’s Literary Club of Dayton, Ohio? None other than Jennie June — that is, Jane Cunningham Croly.
In her two volume book “The History of The Woman’s Club Movement in America” published in 1898, Croly wrote “… the Dayton club has contributed both by women and measures to the success of State and national club life. The club united with the General Foundation in 1890 and it was requested to nominate one of its members for chairman of State correspondence by the executive of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, it being the largest and most notable literary club in the State.”
“It was crucial to the women of the club that meetings were taken seriously,” said Jean. “A theme was set each year, and members spent a lot of time and effort researching the topic, writing a detailed paper, and then presenting it — from memory
— to members, who then asked questions and critiqued the work.”
Jean shares that although some criteria have lightened up a bit — memorization not required — she and other members still appreciate the seriousness with which the club still approaches its purpose and meetings.
The club, which has about 40 members, meets about twice a month from October through May, culminating in a creative writing contest for which there are various levels of recognition. New members are sponsored by two current members. The 2013-14 theme the members are exploring is the essay as a literary device; members will present on essayists from Joan Didion to Annie Dillard to Lewis Thomas and many more.
“The club remains relevant as a forum for women to not only honor the history of how women’s lives have changed and roles expanded,” said Jean, “but also as a way to expand our understanding of topics we might not ordinarily explore — and certainly couldn’t explore individually to the depth we experience with our savvy members each sharing their research and papers with all the women in the club.”
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