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WHRC: From the Archives

Cooking for the Community

By: Joanna Church, Women’s History and Resource Center Librarian

Welcome back to the GFWC Women’s History and Resource Center blog! This month, as we get ready for the holiday season, the spotlight falls on our collection of club-produced cookbooks.

American “community cookbooks” trace their history back to the Civil War, when Maria J. Moss compiled A Poetical Cook-book as a fundraiser for the US Sanitary Commission in 1864. Since then, women’s organizations from all walks of life have created their own cookbooks to raise money, preserve favorite recipes, and make their mark on their communities.

Women’s clubs have happily participated in this endeavor, and the WHRC holds a sampling of club cookbooks from the 1920s through today. Let’s take a quick tour through this delightful collection!

“Mrs. Thomas Gillice, President, 3rd District, Illinois Federation, prepares a cake from a recipe in the GFWC Cookbook, ‘America Cooks,’ published by Putnam and Sons,” from the October 1968 issue of “Clubwoman.” America Cooks (1968) is just one of several cookbooks GFWC has compiled to represent our many members, in the US and across the globe; others include A Cook’s Tour (1957), International Potpourri (1977), The Centennial Cookbook (1988), and American Buffet (1993).

Because we are an international organization, the GFWC cookbook collection has a broad scope. There is a lot of overlap, of course; just about every book includes recipes for standard fare like turkey, green beans, biscuits, and fruit pies. But there are regional specialties galore; “Crab Soup, Eastern Shore Style” (Mrs. Flo Berton of Maryland) and “Alaska King Crab Meat Souffle” (Mildred Hamill of Alaska) can be found in their clubs’ respective books, for example. The GFWC-produced A Cook’s Tour (1957) features delicacies from across the US and beyond, with recipes for “Bizcocho de Batata ‘Borinquen’” (Mrs. Carmen Aboy Valldejulli, Club Civico de Damas de Puerto Rico), “Ozark pudding” (Mrs. Joseph W. Cushing, President, Missouri Federation of Women’s Clubs) and “Latvian Stroganoff” (Mrs. Ellija Druva, President, Representatives of Latvians’ Baltic Women’s Council).

Recipe for Sweet Potato Cake (Bizcocho de Batata “Borinquen”), submitted by Mrs. Carmen Aboy Valldejulli, Club Civico de Damas de Puerto Rico. From A Cook’s Tour With the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, 1957.
From the Out of This World Cook Book, 1973. Gift of GFWC Cocoa Beach Woman’s Club, 1986.

Some local cookbooks really lean into the neighborhood theme, like the two editions of GFWC Cocoa Beach Woman’s Club’s Out of This World Cook Book (1973 and 1985) that celebrate the club’s proximity to the “space coast” of Florida. Here is a recipe submitted by Jane DuBose Conrad, wife of astronaut Charles “Pete” Conrad Jr., in the “Satellite Salads” section of the 1973 edition. Like most community cookbooks, this was a fundraiser; proceeds went “towards the building, the furnishing, and the maintenance of the Space Coast Community Center at Cocoa Beach.”

A glance through any given cookbook will tell us a lot about the era in which it was written: what ingredients were available, what cultures were represented in the community, what kinds of events were being held, and more. Just a few of the recipes that provide a window to the time in which they were written include “hogs’ head cheese,” from a late 19th century Texas cookbook; “Mah Jong Mix” for the snacking needs of 12 -14 of your club friends, from the 1930 Ames Woman’s Club Cook Book; and many dishes that make good use of the latest development in food technology, from refrigerators and electric ovens to pressure cookers and microwaves.

A recipe from the “Microwave Oven” section of the Ladies’ Literary Club Centennial Cookbook (Grand Rapids, Michigan), 1988. Gift of John Clasby on behalf of the Ladies Literary Club of Grand Rapids, 1990.
“Burnt Caramel Cake,” contributed to The Club Woman’s Cook Book, 1928, by future GFWC President Roberta Campbell Lawson (1935-1938). This cookbook was compiled by Mary Davenport Bonner, a member of clubs in both Tyler, Texas and Chautauqua, New York, and it includes a wide variety of GFWC leaders from across the country as well as members of her clubs (and at least one “Hollywood actress”). Gift of Sallie Holder.

When you look at the cookbooks with an eye toward the contributors themselves, you gain even more insight into time, place, and club culture. Recipes submitted by GFWC Presidents – past, present, and future – are often featured, even if they’re not from the state or region represented. Local and national elected officials (and their wives) can be found in books from every era. My favorite discoveries come from two ends of the “famous contributor” spectrum: “Catherine Mallon, Actress, Hollywood, California” submitted a recipe for chess cake to The Club Woman’s Cook Book (1928), and “Nora Roberts, Author for Silhouette Romances” provided a bread pudding recipe for The Chesapeake Collection (1983). While Roberts went on to be a household name, Mallon’s Hollywood career was not so successful; it doesn’t appear that she ever achieved a credited film role.

A page of pies from the Pawhuska Woman’s Club cookbook, first printed in 1925. Gift of Dori Kelsey, 2023.

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, this blog post would not be complete without at least one example of my favorite holiday dish: apple pie. I make an apple pie every year, using a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens red gingham cookbook circa 1998 (because my mom had the BH&G red gingham cookbook from the 1970s, and probably her mother had the previous generation as well)… but maybe I’ll try something new this year, from something in the Archives.

Have you made anything from a GFWC-related cookbook? Have you contributed one of your favorites to a club’s cookbook project? (And does your club have a cookbook, whether vintage or recent, that we should add to the WHRC collection?) Let us know in the comments!

Read more about the history of community cookbooks here:

Community Cookbooks and the Women Who Wrote Them (JSTOR)

Community Cookbook Collections to Inspire Your Next Meal (Boston Public Library)

Before Food Blogs: the Community Cookbooks (Denver Public Library)

Remember to check back next month for more stories from GFWC history (and present)! To learn more about the WHRC collections, visit the WHRC page or contact us at whrc@gfwc.org.

Joanna Church is the Women’s History and Resource Center Librarian at GFWC Headquarters in Washington, DC. She oversees the WHRC collection, handles research requests, and loves sharing our unique resources with fellow lovers of women’s history.

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A Look Back at GFWC History with the International Past Presidents

Five of the GFWC International Past Presidents at the 2015 GFWC Annual Convention in Memphis, Tennessee.

For two years, the GFWC International President resides at GFWC’s Headquarters on 1734 N Street, located just south of DuPont Circle in Washington, D.C. It becomes her home as she invests all of her time into GFWC. Living at this National Historic Landmark is just one of the many duties required of the International President during her administration.

Serving as the official representative of GFWC, each International Past President has left a truly remarkable mark on GFWC that is still felt today. From Charlotte Emerson Brown, GFWC’s first president in 1890, to Babs J. Condon, GFWC’s 50th President, the Federation has been led by inspirational leaders who ensured GFWC was meeting its mission of improving the lives of others through volunteer service.

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, join us on a glimpse of the past as we look back on the accomplishments and contributions of just a few of the many International Past Presidents. These incredible leaders are true examples of Living the Volunteer Spirit.

Mary Elizabeth Preston
1978-1980
Kentucky
During her term, Mary Elizabeth Preston, the 32nd GFWC International President, promoted family unity and free enterprise.

“The private enterprise system has been the financial pillar of our society, the family has been the moral and philosophical pillar. While they both stand, our country is held aloft and free; if they should fall, America falls with them,” she said.

She also helped to establish the Korean Federation of Women’s Clubs, traveling to Seoul, South Korea in 1978. She then spent a week in the Soviet Union, along with First Vice President Juanita Bryant and Second Vice President Jeri Winger. In Moscow, the GFWC leaders met with leaders of the Soviet Women’s Committee and discussed the roles of Russian women.

After the discussion, Mary said that she had “a better understanding of Russian women. I have to believe that they too would like world peace. All the women of the world would. Our governments may work in very different ways, but as women, we have many common concerns.”

Marijo Shide
1980-1982
North Dakota

As GFWC International President, Marijo Shide worked to increase awareness of GFWC and encouraged clubs to put GFWC in their club name.

“Clubs and State Federations saw the value of the GFWC Brand. If a reporter didn’t know what GFWC was, that gave them a great opportunity to tell them,” she said.

Marijo promoted programs including crime prevention, energy conservation, the Community Improvement Program (CIP), CARE, and National Family Week.

Marijo enjoyed interacting with clubwomen and having the opportunity to serve. She also loved living at GFWC International Headquarters and having access to the Archives.

Juanita Martin Bryant
1982-1984
North Carolina
The opening of the GFWC Women’s History and Resource Center on May 1, 1984 was one of the highlights of Juanita Martin Bryant’s time as GFWC International President from 1982-1984. Vice President George Bush cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony, officially opening the center, which stores GFWC Archives and documents the history of women volunteerism. As a self-described history buff, Juanita is proud that the WHRC is still going strong today, and that it is used by individual researchers, universities, and historians.

Working with the mentally and physically handicapped, especially through the Special Olympics, was Juanita’s special project during her administration. She attended the International Special Olympics in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1983. Another highlight of her presidency was attending the National Multiple Sclerosis Conference in Houston, Texas, where she presented the MS Volunteer Award to Frank Sinatra.

Juanita also travelled internationally through the CARE project, visiting projects in Hawaii, Guam, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Looking back at her administration, Juanita says that she enjoyed the opportunity to visit and meet with clubwomen not only in the United States, but around the world as well.

“I feel very strongly that our volunteer work is a great contribution. It doesn’t trickle down from the top; it wields up from the bottom. The great success of GFWC is because it is organized not only in clubs, but on regional, national, and international levels. I think that is a major thing that has made GFWC so successful during this 126 years,” she said.

Jacquelyn Pierce
2006-2008
Illinois
As the 46th GFWC International President, Jacquelyn Pierce’s administration focused on Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention. Participating in the writing of the Violence Against Women Act was one of the highlights of her time as president.

Jacquelyn is proud of GFWC’s recognition in the United States Senate in 2006. Then-Senator Joseph Biden (Del.) called “a gem among our midst” for our work in domestic violence awareness and prevention, as well as GFWC’s history of support for the Violence Against Women Act.

Jacquelyn had the opportunity to visit the Dominican Republic in 2007 with Reaching Out Internationally Chairman Nancy Jones, participating in the Plan USA Global Women’s Fund in Action.

“It was a very humbling experience for me to be able to write a personal check in the amount of $800 which enabled the women of the village of Azuna to purchase their first commercial sewing machine so that they could make the school uniforms that their children were required to wear. Presented on behalf of GFWC, that small donation made a difference. The women could now be gainfully employed and the uniforms could be made at a cost much less than if purchased in a retail store,” she said.

Jacquelyn’s administration theme was “Empowering Women One by One.”

“I have always thought that if you looked at a banner in the front of a convention hall, the words on that banner should define, without question, the mission of the organization. To me, GFWC, first and foremost, empowers its members, and it does so on an individual basis. Ask any club member what GFWC means to them and their answer will involve their personal empowerment,” she said.

Rose M. Ditto, Ph.D.
2008-2010
Kansas
Rose M. Ditto, Ph.D., served as GFWC’s 47th International President. Her administration focused on health programs, specifically healthy self-worth. As president, Rose enjoyed the opportunity to share her passion for the importance of the development of healthy self-worth and emotional intelligence.

Serving with Missi McCoy, GFWC Director of Junior Clubs, the Executive Committee, and the GFWC Staff was another highlight. Rose also enjoyed attending GFWC Region, State, and club meetings and representing GFWC at events.

“Through my travels to GFWC Regions, States, and Clubs, I was always amazed by the projects and volunteer achievements proudly reported,” she said.

“GFWC — A Vision of Possibilities” was Rose’s administration theme, inspired by the song “I Am a Promise” from the musical “Kids Under Construction” by the Gaithers. The words are, “I am a Promise, I am a Possibility, I am a Promise with a capital P.”

“These describe each and every GFWC member as we have unlimited possibilities for serving others in our families, clubs, and communities,” Rose said. “GFWC’s historical accomplishments speak loudly, the present accomplishments continually build, and the future accomplishments are within our reach.”

The volunteer spirit and the giving nature of GFWC members have impacted the American spirit and culture which have reached all over the world, Rose said.

“At one time the voice of GFWC was very strong and quite influential, however, as our membership has lessened, so has our voice. The challenge now is to continue impacting those around us and within our reach—families and communities. The American dream is just not to have more, but to give more for the betterment of others,” she said.

Mary Ellen Laister
2012-2014
Arizona
Mary Ellen Laister strongly supported the GFWC Signature Project: Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention and the Success for Survivors Scholarship. In 2013, GFWC awarded eight scholarships of $2,500 each for a total of $20,000.

Mary Ellen is proud to have raised over $20,000 in 2012 and 2013 to award these scholarships. Reading the applications and hearing the stories of these women was an emotional experience.

“When I read those applications, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream. It gave you every emotion in the world,” she said.

Mary Ellen met one of the scholarship recipients during her administration, and said the young woman was so grateful that it brought tears to her eyes.

“It was so important that we made their life better,” she said.

According to Mary Ellen, the most exciting part of being president was traveling to the Regions and attending State Conventions, which allowed her to meet clubwomen and hear about the impact they were making in their communities.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was very fortunate to be the 49th president,” she said.

The Red Dress Fashion Show at the 2013 GFWC Annual Convention in Hollywood, Florida was a huge hit, Mary Ellen said.

“I felt I had a very positive two years,” Mary Ellen said.

For a full list of GFWC’s International Past Presidents, click here. Stay tuned for a look at GFWC Past Directors of Junior Clubs on the GFWC Facebook Page.