Since its first meeting in 1881, AAUW has been a catalyst for change. Today, with more than 82,000 members, 1,000 branches, and 500 college and university partners, AAUW contributes to a more promising future and provides a powerful voice for women and girls—breaking through educational and economic barriers for women and girls so that all women have a fair chance.
The first organization was formed in 1881 when Marion Talbot and Ellen H. Richards invited 15 alumnae of eight colleges to a Nov. 28 meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. They envisioned an organization in which women college graduates can band together to open doors of higher education to other women and to find wider opportunities to use their training.
The Association of Collegiate Alumnae, AAUW’s forebearer, was formally organized on January 14, 1882 with 65 graduates of eight colleges and universities as founding members. Their purpose: to unite alumnae of different institutions in “practical education work.” Wesleyan University (Conn.) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are admitted as charter members.
In October of 1889, the Western Association of Collegiate Alumnae, which had been established in 1883, officially merged with the Association of Collegiate Alumnae (ACA). ACA established a membership policy for educational institutions, which marked the beginning of using AAUW’s membership as a means for encouraging higher standards in education for women.
AAUW helped found the International Foundation of University Women in 1919. It is an international network linking women graduates from all cultures, all fields of study, all professions and all generations. There are 75 national affiliates and members are present in more than 120 countries
The Southern Association of College Women was formed with l7 charter members in 1903. At that time, only two of the 140 “colleges for women” offered four years of academic work. In March 1921, the Southern Association of College Women and the Association of Collegiate Alumnae merged to form the present American Association of University Women or AAUW.
Six years later the Georgia Division of AAUW was chartered. The first meeting was held March 19, 1927 at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta. Delegations from Atlanta, Athens, Macon, Milledgeville, and Rome attended. A letter was read from Augusta and a telegram from the Savannah branch.
Georgia hosted the national convention of AAUW in Savannah, Georgia in 1937. AAUW has maintained a presence in Georgia for over 82 years bettering the communities they serve through scholarships and community projects.
