The History of BPW
THE BPW STORY
It was 1918, a morning in May, and in New York the temperature touched a summery 68°. A happy day, fashionable Lord & Taylor advertised 1,00 “dainty cotton dresses at comfortable prices - $5.50 to $6.50”! There was other news: a war was in progress. Casualty in all the newspapers over the country was sobering, but the American army was cheered in Paris, the French had just blocked a new German drive.
Downtown in the Fulton Street Cafeteria of the YWCA, 100 women gathered to talk and make news. Meeting at the invitation of the YWCA’s War Work Council, these business and professional women were asked to suggest how working women in America might be more effectively utilized in the wartime economy. Perhaps it didn’t excite too many of the New Yorkers who read about it in the papers the next day, but the U.S. Government was tremendously interested. The Government had, in fact, allocated $65,000 to the War Work Council for the organization of a national women’s association. The association was to prove itself capable of assisting in the informal mobilization and training of women to fill jobs vacated by men who had been called into the armed services. The Fulton Cafeteria meeting selected a 25-member National Business Women’s Committee to contact independent business women’s clubs and to set up the basic plan of a national association into which these separate women’s clubs might be united. Lena Madesin Phillips, later a National President, became executive secretary of the National Business Women’s Committee.
The war ended in November, 1918. It might also have ended the National Business women’s Committee, but fortunately, club women and government officials alike felt that a united business women’s association would be a national asset in the postwar era. The War Department authorized the continued use of the $65,000 originally appropriated to this work. A draft constitution was drawn up, publicity pushed, and in the spring of 1919 the National Business Women’s Committee recommended calling a National Convention of state delegates to establish a permanent origination. The Convention met in St. Louis in July, 1919, and over 400 delegates and observers established the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. Telegrams of congratulations and good wishes were sent from President Woodrow Wilson, Secretary of the Treasury William G. McAdoo, and Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels.
From the beginning, the National Federation sought not only to expand economic opportunity for women and the promotion of their welfare, but the improvement of women’s preparation for business and professions. This was nicely articulated in 1920 by the slogan: “A Better Business Woman for a Better Business World.” The Federation established an active scholarship program and recommended: “at least a high school education for every business girl.” At the Chattanooga Convention 1922, Lena Lake Forrest, National President, said: “We must see to it here that the young woman coming into the business world today shall be so well equipped that she will be regarded as a great business asset... .”
The BPW/USA Federation has continually fought economic discrimination against women. It has encouraged the penetration by women into new vocational fields. It initiated Business Women’s Week to give every local community an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of women workers to the economy and to give working women an opportunity for self-evaluation. It has worked for equal pay, equal legal rights, improved social security, and for other progressive programs aimed at improved community welfare. It recognized that, in the long run, the well-being of any one group depends on the prosperity of the local and state communities, the nation, and the international world at large.
Overview of Important Dates
National Business Women's Week is the third full week in October each year.
BPW/NC State Conference is convened in June of each year.
BPW/USA National Conference is convened in July of each year.
Current Achievements
Brevard BPW won several accolades at the 2004 State Conference:
3rd Place for their monthly publication, The Network
A Silver Award for BPW/USA Foundation contributions.
*new*
Globalnet GNP Domain Hosting and BPW/USA
partner in their Web Presence Rewards programs which will
provide all local organizations nationwide with their own individual
website at no charge. Members who refer new web hosting clients to GNP will
reward their
local organization with scholarships and a 25% lifetime monthly donation on all
revenue from each client. For more information, please visit
www.bpwonline.com
