Albany Branch

The Albany Branch of AAUW was established in 1890, making it one of the oldest branches in New York State. It has a rich history. Several of its members became President of the New York State AAUW. The Albany Branch is one of more than 40 branches within New York State..

Albany Branch activities include four to six general program meetings (including the Annual Meeting in April), special community projects, several interest groups, and hosting the annual NYS AAUW Fall Conference.

The Albany Branch is a member of the Legislative Forum.

The archives of the Albany Branch are housed in the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives in the University Library at the University at Albany, State University of New York.

Updated: 4-23-2007

Membership

Membership in AAUW is open to all graduates who hold an associate's or higher degree from an accredited college or university. In principal and practice, AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership. There are no barriers to full participation in AAUW on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability.

Branch dues include membership in the branch, state and national organizations. Members receive the branch Yearbook and monthly Albany Branch newsletter Inside Albany - AAUW, the quarterly state publication NYS FOCUS, and the quarterly national AAUW Outlook magazine. Branch leaders also receive the state Leadership Portfolio and the national AAUW in Action publications.

New members are always welcome.

Branch Activities

General branch meetings are held monthly from September through May. Most branch meetings are open to the public.

Interest groups usually meet monthly on a variety of days and times. Current interests groups include book, investment, cultural, and technology groups. New groups are formed based on members' interests.

In addition to supporting the AAUW Educational Foundation and AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund, the branch supports the Troy “satellite group” Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded annually to an area woman attending a local college or university.

PRESIDENT	Mary (Mimi) Mounteer and Estelle Wall
PROGRAM	Janet Vine
MEMBERSHIP	Nancy Weber Kaye
FINANCE	Jean Magnuson
LAF	Nancy Weber Kaye
Secretary	Betty Slagle
Director	Barbara Sekellick

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Albany Branch Historical Highlights

First Fifty - Second Fifty - Second Century

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The First Fifty Years
• October 18, 1890 A group of twelve Albany area college graduates met with Ms. Marion Talbot, at the invitation of Mr. Melvin Dewey, to form the Eastern New York Chapter of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. This group became the Albany Branch of AAUW when AAUW was organized in 1921 through a merger of the Southern Association of College Women and the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. Among the first topics of study were: “The Educational Duty of College-bred Women” and “Why Should a Girl Go to College”.
• 1892 The branch participated in the Association investigation of women’s wages.
• 1894 The branch passed a resolution to petition the constitutional convention to submit a women’s suffrage amendment to the people.
• 1904 Women from the Albany Branch began a settlement house in Albany’s south end
• 1915 An individual member subscription was established for three years to support French war orphans
• 1916 The Branch decided to support women’s suffrage and appointed a committee to cooperate with the local suffrage club.
• 1918 The Branch contributed to the fund to provide radium for Madame Curie
• 1921 The Eastern New York Branch of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae became the Albany Branch of the American Association of University Women
• 1928 The Albany Branch made its first contribution, $100, to the newly formed AAUW Fellowship Fund.
• 1932 The Albany Branch joined with other local organizations to form the Women’s Joint Legislative Forum. Dr. Josephine Glasgow and Mrs. William Zeitler represented the State AAUW at the organizational meetings.
• 1934 The branch actively supported the ratification of the child labor amendment
• 1940 Blodwin Zeitler, past president of the Albany Branch (1933-1935), became President of the New York State AAUW

The Next Fifty Years

• 1940 In celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Albany Branch, the branch presented a pageant “Voice of History” written by Anna Mary Gallager Gleeson. Dr. Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin, astronomer and Rose Sidgwick Memorial Fellow, was the guest speaker at the anniversary celebration. The history of the first 50 years of the branch was written by Rachael Brown, Mildred Hand, and Elsa Muhlfelder.
• 1943 Branch membership stood at 284 with 24 members holding doctorates and 186 being professionals
• 1944 Dr. Margaret Mead was the guest speaker for the May meeting. Her talk was “Contrasts between British and American Wartime Conditions."
• 1947 Dr. Vivian Hopkins received an AAUW National Fellowship for advanced graduate study. She was the first Albany Branch member to receive an AAUW fellowship.
• 1952 The branch held a symposium on “The Potentialities of T.V.”
• 1963 Branch membership stood at 315.
• 1964 The published Albany Branch policy sheet stated: AAUW is not a service club in the sense that it gives financial support to community organizations or projects. A project to be considered must be educational before it may be approved for financial support by the Board.
• 1966 Albany Branch began networking with other local organizations and sent delegates to the following:
  • Americanization Council of Albany,
  • Citizens Planning Committee,
  • Friends of the Albany Library,
  • AAUW International Center Coordinators, and
  • Women’s Joint Legislative Forum.
• 1968 Ruth McGraw, past president of the Albany Branch (1963-1965), became President of the New York State AAUW
• 1970-71 Albany Branch programs, reflecting concerns of the society at large, included Dr. Nathan Wright, Director of Afro-American Studies at SUNYA, speaking on “The Meaning of Black Studies to the Academic Community” and Dr. Ernest Pelts, Executive Director of the Temporary NYS Commission to Study Campus Unrest.
• 1974 The Albany Branch contributed $3,000 to the SUNYA Alumni House.
• 1976 The Albany Branch sponsored an ERA open meeting “ERA Under NY State Law” at Chancellor’s Hall in Albany
• 1978 During the presidency of Ella Bruins, Albany Branch presidents began using their given names without any titles except academic titles.
• 1980 The Albany Branch celebrated its 90th Anniversary. The Branch published a new statement of principles that included participation in community and public life, and legislative support at local, state, and national levels –particularly for legislation affecting women.
• 1981 The Albany Branch established a “Women in the Media Award” to recognize leading women in the media. The first award was made in 1982 to Mary Caroline Powers.
• 1987 The Albany Branch co-sponsored a Peace workshop at the College of St. Rose
• 1988 Dr. Joyce Dayton, past president of the Albany Branch (1984-1986), became President of the New York State AAUW
• 1988 During Banned Book Week, the Albany Branch co-hosted with the Capital District Parent and Teachers Association and the William K. Sanford Town Library a censorship workshop “. . . With Liberty and Justice for All?: A Case Against Censorship.” The workshop was televised locally in real time by the CSPAN predecessor.
• 1989 Blodwen Williams Zeitler (Past Albany Branch President and Past AAUW NYS President) began the AAUW American Fellowship that bears her name.

The Second Hundred Years

• October 18, 1990 Albany Branch celebrated its 100th Anniversary. Invited guests included 7 past branch presidents, NYS AAUW President, local legislators. Guest speaker was Dr. Jeanne E. Gullahorn, Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the State University of New York at Albany. A branch history of the years 1890 through 1990 was written and published by Marie Creel and her daughter, Rev. Marilyn Creel.
• 1991 "Choices and Challenges Conference" jointly sponsored by AAUW, Hudson Valley Girl Scout Council, The Sage Colleges, and Emma Willard School ---brought together several hundred people on the Emma Willard School campus to explore local educational equity issues.
• 1993 Members of the Troy Branch of AAUW joined the Albany Branch upon the disbandment of the Troy Branch. The Women’s University Club of Troy that was organized in 1916 became the Troy Branch of AAUW in 1946.
  • 1946 The Women’s University Club of Troy, organized in 1916, became the Troy Branch of AAUW.
  • 1990 The Troy Branch Archive was established at the Rensselaer Country Historical Society, Troy, New York.
• 1995 The Albany Branch Archive was established at the M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives at the University at Albany, State University of New York. One intention was to make AAUW history available as part of the Women’s Studies resources.
• 2008 The Albany Branch, with other members of NYSPEC, lobbied for the NYS Fair Pay Bill at the Legislative Office Building on Gloria Steinem Day, April 2

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General AAUW Information

The American Association of University Women (AAUW), a national not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1881 to promote equity for women, education and self-development over the life span, and positive societal change. AAUW was one of the founding member organizations that established IFUW (International Federation of University Women) in 1919.

AAUW Mission Statements

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocay, education and research.

The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund provides funding and a support system for women seeking judicial redress for sex discrimination in higher education.

Diversity Statement - In principle and in practice, AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or class.

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