News of the Week 3/13

By NJSFWC | March 13, 2024

NJSFWC ECONNECTION
March 13, 2024
Shirley A. Holly, NJSFWC President

As we celebrate Women’s History Month – Read the Bio of Mabel Smith Douglass, who was quite an incredible woman!

Mabel Smith Douglass

Mabel Smith Douglass, a woman of vision and action, born in Jersey City, graduate of Dickinson High School and Barnard College, wife of William Douglass, mother of two, was the catalyst for the establishment of the New Jersey College for Women. As a member of the College Club, she was active in counseling young women to continue their education at nearby institutes of higher learning outside of New Jersey as women were not eligible for enrollment at Rutgers. She persuaded the group to join the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs (NJSFWC) to campaign for the higher education of youth in New Jersey, regardless of sex, and accepted the position of Chairman of a Committee on the State College and actively researched the numbers, visited separate colleges for women, met with public officials including U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and launched a campaign to raise funds. Due to health issues she retired from the project in 1915, but she had laid the groundwork, and the project was taken over by the NJSFWC. After he died, she took over management of her husband’s mercantile business. In 1918 the trustees of Rutgers passed a resolution to establish a college for women and the New Jersey College for Women opened with 54 students. The President of Rutgers asked Douglass to be the first Dean of the college, where she spent the next 14 years. In 1956 the college would be named Douglass College in her honor. Mabel Smith Douglass was a woman who acted on her vision, a woman whose legacy is one of giving thousands of women the opportunity to pursue higher education in the state of New Jersey.

GRANT OPPORTUNITY FOR CLUBS

Grants Available – NJSFWC Headquarters doesn’t fit the criteria, but clubs with clubhouse may – T Mobile offers Hometown grant for historic buildings,
here is the link that was in Patch:

T MOBILE HOMETOWN GRANT

https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/hometown-grants?dclid=CIrUjaTU34QDFVAPiAkdAOYOJA

OFFICE HOURS Week of March 18 through 22

Please call the office before heading to Headquarters, due to staffing commitments. Telephone: 732-249-5474