Abstract
The Nevada Federation of Women's Clubs (NFWC) Records date from 1907 until 1999 and document the administration, activities, and publications of the NFWC. During the twentieth century, the NFWC included member clubs from throughout the state of Nevada including the Mesquite Club in Las Vegas, the Reno Women's Civic Club, and the Lamoille Women's Club. The collection includes meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence, publications, reports, and newspaper clippings.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Nevada Federation of Women's Clubs (NFWC) Records date from 1907 until 1999 and document the administration, activities, and publications of the NFWC. In October 1908, the NFWC formed in Reno, Nevada and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) admitted the group in 1910. During the twentieth century, the NFWC included member clubs from throughout the state of Nevada, with local clubs in Reno, Elko, and Las Vegas as well as many other communities. By the last decades of the twentieth century, many of the member clubs had disbanded or left the Federation. The collection includes meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence, publications, reports, and newspaper clippings. It also includes material collected by members related to Nevada women’s history and contains a 1907 handwritten document by Helen J. Stewart entitled “Journey to Southern Nevada Mines."
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
These records are organized into two series:
Series I. Nevada Federation of Women's Clubs records, 1907-1999;
Series II. General Federation of Women's Clubs records, 1914-1918, 1968-1999.
Biographical / Historical Note
In October 1908, Nellie Verrill Davis of the Reno, Nevada Leisure Hour Club proposed the formation of the Nevada Federation of Women’s Clubs (NFWC). The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) admitted the NFWC in 1910 and Nellie Verrill Davis served as the first president. The GFWC, founded in 1890, promoted women’s organizations and organized volunteer efforts. Delphine Squires of the Las Vegas, Nevada Mesquite Club served as NFWC president during 1914-1916.
The NFWC expanded throughout the state of Nevada quickly, and in the 1920s there were member clubs in Caliente, Carson City, Deeth, Elko, Ely (2 clubs), Fallon (5 clubs), Fernley (2 clubs), Gardnerville, Goldfield, Hazen, Lamoille, Las Vegas, Lovelock, Mason (2 clubs), Manhattan, Minden, Panaca, Reno (8 clubs), Sparks (2 clubs), Smith Valley, Virginia City, Wadsworth, Winnemucca, and Yerington (2 clubs). The NFWC organized statewide conventions that brought together members for education, official business, and guest speakers. The NFWC promoted volunteerism and community service. Some of their projects included funding emergency loans for students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, collecting books for local libraries, and fundraising for local causes.
Women’s clubs entered a period of decline in the years following World War II. The NFWC remained active in the 1950s in Nevada with four women’s clubs in Las Vegas, eight in Reno, three in Elko and clubs in Boulder City, Ely, Empire, Fallon, Fernley, Gabbs, Henderson, Lamoille, Manhattan, Smith Valley, Pittman, Winnemucca, and Yerington.
Membership in the NFWC continued to decline and in 1996 the only remaining clubs were the Boulder City Women’s Club, the Junior Mesquite Club, the Lamoille Women’s Club, the Mesquite Club, and the Reno Civic Women’s Club.
As of 2016, the GFWC lists three clubs in Nevada: the Green Valley Federated Woman’s Club, Lamoille Woman’s Club, and the Mesquite Club of Las Vegas.
Source:
General Federation of Women's Clubs. State Federation and Club Websites. http://www.gfwc.org/who-we-are/club-websites/ (accessed March 18, 2016).
Preferred Citation
Nevada Federation of Women's Clubs, 1907-1999. MS-00266. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1986 and 1999; accession numbers 86-62 and 99-11.
Processing Note
Materials were processed by Special Collections staff. In 2016, Angela Moor wrote the collection description in compliance with current professional standards.