Century Celebration: Bartlesville Womans Club

Organization Celebrating its 100th Birthday

by Vickie Stewart

Some of you might ask: What is the Bartlesville Women’s Club? Have you ever noticed this BWC sign at 601 S. Shawnee Avenue? The Bartlesville Womens Club is celebrating a birthday this year — 100 years.

Tuesday Club was the first women’s club organized in Bartlesville, in 1906. This women’s club began with a small number of earnest, strong-willed women in a mud-rutted oil settlement called Bartlesville in Indian Territory. These women wanted cultural, educational, and philanthropic activities for the women in Bartlesville. This was what they were accustomed to before moving to Indian Territory with their husbands. It was the Tuesday Club that spearheaded the movement in 1920 to band together with other nine “like” women’s groups which included: American Legion Auxiliary, Bartlesville Welfare Federation, Visiting Nurses Association, American Association of University Women, Musical Research Society, Doherty Auxiliary, Allois Club, Daughters of American Revolution, Delphian Alumni, and Women’s Christian Temperance Union. By November 1920, the Bartlesville Women’s Club had a total membership of 12 separate organizations. Other interesting and significant groups that once belonged to the group included: Council of Jewish Women, Business & Professions Women, Big and Little Sisters (junior high and high school girls), Sorosis Study Club, Mother’s Club, Parent Teacher Associations, Carpenter’s Auxiliary, and the Red Cross. The club membership at one point ‘topped-out’ at 15 clubs belonging to BWC. However, in 1986, the club membership had shrunk to four women’s clubs: Indian Women’s Club, Daughters of American Revolution, Musical Research Society, and Tuesday Club. It remained as these four clubs until in 2017, when Tuesday Club disbanded due to the lack of having younger women willing to join their organization. This appears to be a trend in today’s world.

By 1955, Bartlesville had grown to a population of 30,000, and the women’s clubs had outgrown meetings in homes. The public meeting places, (Civic Center, YMCA, schools, churches, etc.) were overcrowded and could no longer allow clubs space to meet in their buildings. Once again, Tuesday Club came up with the idea of uniting forces to find a meeting place where the women’s clubs could meet. They began talking to the Chamber of Commerce and city council, and quickly gained support. First, they needed to be incorporated as a 501c3 Corporation in order to own property. The search for a site that was reasonably priced, and in a good location, was necessary. A site was found that cost $10,000 and was located at 601 S. Shawnee Ave. Tuesday Club donated $1,000 as their portion and challenged the other nine clubs to match their $1,000 ... which they did!

The women then began seeking donations from the oil companies, banks, and businesses, organizing bake sales, and seeking individual pledges. By September 12, 1956, when they held the ground-breaking, they were just $5,000 shy of the bid to build their clubhouse. Nineteen months later, on April 27, 1957, an Open House was held and the clubhouse was officially ready for club meetings. Within six months after opening the clubhouse, the $5,000 loan was paid off and the BWC clubhouse was “debtfree.” A board of directors with representatives from the member clubs were appointed to manage the building. The only requirement to become a member of BWC was to contribute $1 annually per club member to assist in paying the utilities and maintenance of the property and clubhouse. The rest is history. It is now 2020 and BWC is 100 years old.

The lesson to be learned from the Bartlesville Womens Club is: “Never underestimate the power and determination of a group of strong-willed women.”

Today, the three remaining BWC members are planning a fundraising project to renovate and update their 63-year-old club building to continue what was started by the early determined women 100 years ago, but with a focus into the 21st century. Their mission is to bring all cultures of people together to benefit families and the community by encouragement, education, communication, dialogue, and celebration in a nonpartisan and multicultural setting.