Frequently Asked Questions

Does GFWC offer tours?
Tours of GFWC Headquarters are provided Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., by reservation. Walk-ins are welcome; however, we request that reservations be made when possible to ensure a timely and thorough tour experience. Please direct inquiries regarding tours to the Women's History and Resource Center at 202/347-3168.

How can I conduct research at the WHRC?
The WHRC holds one of the most comprehensive collections of materials pertaining to the history of women volunteers in the U.S., and we welcome the opportunity to work with researchers and provide research assistance. Please review our research guidelines or contact the Women's History and Resource Center at 202/347-3168 for detailed information.

May I check out books from the WHRC Library?
The WHRC Library is a non-circulating collection. Materials in the WHRC Library are accessible to members and staff, as well as scholars and students by appointment only, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Do you rent GFWC Headquarters for private events?
While we welcome tours, we do not rent GFWC Headquarters to outside groups or club members.

Will the GFWC Archives have information on past state presidents or prominent local members?
Tthe WHRC will not have information on GFWC members at the state or local level. The GFWC Archives may hold information about local members who held a national office or were members of the GFWC Executive Committee. For details about the GFWC Collections, see the collections overview.

I have four white plates that were part of a bicentennial commemorative project of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Is their any information on these plates concerning their history and value?
Four plates belong to the Bicentennial set, which commemorates our nation's early history. They were commissioned by GFWC, and the Federation released one new plate each year for four consecutive years (1973-1976). The overarching theme of the plate set is "Spirit of '76" and each plate depicts one of the four major movements in the American Revolution: "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death," "Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness," "In God We Trust," and "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land." The molds for the plates were publicly destroyed on July 4, 1976, in a ceremony at Independence Hall.

GFWC does not accept donations of the Bicentennial Plates, nor do we monitor the market for them. However, you may have success contacting the company that produced the plates for buying, reselling and/or value information. Their current contact information is: Bright Enterprises, PO Box 460, Green Brier Rd., Summersville, WV 26651, 304/872-3000.

I just received a collection of four figurines of women in various dress made by Goebell in Germany.  Can you tell me what the figurines represent? 
The W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik Factory of Germany produced four porcelain figurines, know as the GFWC Centennial Figurines, in celebration of GFWC's 100th anniversary in 1990.

Starting with the 1982-1984 administration, one figure was released during each of the two administrations leading up the GFWC Centennial in 1990. All figurines were available for only two years, after which the molds from each were destroyed. The figurines depict classic women's attire representative of each quarter century of GFWC history: 1890 Series, 1915 Series, 1940 Series, and 1965 Series.

How may I learn more about the history of the General Federation of Women's Clubs and the women's club movement in general?
Please refer to this bibliography for useful books on this topic:

• Blair, Karen J. The Clubwoman as Feminist: True Womanhood Redefined, 1868-1914. (New York: Holmes and Meier Publishers, 1980).
• Blair, Karen J. The Torch Bearers: Women and Their Amateur Arts Associations in America 1890-1930. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994).
• Croly, Jane Cunningham. The History of the Women's Club Movement in America. (New York: Henry G. Allen & Company, 1898).
• Houde, Mary Jean. Reaching Out: A Story of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. (Chicago: The Mobium Press, 1989).
• Scott, Anne Firor. Natural Allies: Women's Associations in American History. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991).
• Wells, Mildred White. Unity in Diversity: The History of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, Vol. I and II. (Washington, DC: The General Federation of Women's Clubs, 1953, 1975).
• Wood, Mary I. The History of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. (New York: The General Federation of Women's Clubs, 1912).