Welcome to the Republican Women's Federation (RWFM) 

 official website!

 

The first Michigan Women’s Republican Club was formed in Detroit in 1919 – in the spring before the Michigan Legislature gave women the right to vote. The Republican Women’s Federation of Michigan was founded in 1925, thirteen years before the National Federation of Women was organized in 1938. The NFRW has a beautiful and historic headquarters building in Alexandria, VA.

 

Nationally, we are over 100,000 members strong with chapters in 48 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. There are 34 clubs in Michigan with almost 1,600 members.

 

Our mission is to increase the effectiveness of women in government through active political participation, to promote an informed electorate through political education, work for the election of the Republican Party’s candidates, and support and assist the Republican Party.

 

Brief History of Republican Women's Clubs

 

Republican Women's Clubs were inspired by the Republican Platform of 1872, which said: "The Republican Party is mindful of its obligations to the loyal women of American for their noble devotion to the cause of Freedom."  The oldest Republican Women's club on record was founded in Salt Lake City in 1899. The National Repubican Women's Federation today has 1825 affiliate clubs in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands. Its individual membership exceeds 100,000.

 

The National Women's organziation was founded at a conference held at the Palmer House in Chicago, September 23-24, 1938. With the encouragement of Republican National Chairman John D. M. Hamilton, it was organized under the direction of Miss Marion Martin, then Assistant Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee and National Committeewoman for Maine. The original organizational meeting took place in Chicago on November 4, 1937, when 38 of the women members of the Republican National Committee met to discuss the "desirability" of federating: "to foster and encourage loyalty to the Republican Party and the ideals for which it stands; to closer cooperation between independent groups and the regular party organization which are working for the same objectives, namely, sound government, to promote interchange of ideas and experiences of various clubs to the end that the policies which have proven particularily effective in one state may be adopted in another; and to encourage a national attitude and national approach to the problems facing the Republican Party." 

 

The organization originally was known as the National Federation of Women's Republican Clubs of America (NFWRC). The name was changed in January 1953 to the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW). At the time of organization in 1938, clubs totaling 95,000 members had applied for affiliation. Since 1952, the Federation's President serves as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee of the Republican National Committee.

 

The first Michigan Women's Republican Club was formed in Detroit in 1919, in the spring before the Michigan Legislature gave women the right to vote. The Republican Women's Federation of Michigan was founded in 1925, thirteen years before the National Federation of Women was organized in 1938. Michigan was one of the original 11 statewide Federations organized as charter members of the NFRWC in 1938. To be considered "statewide" at that time, a State Federation or a club had to have members in 60 percent of the counties of the state.

 

RWFM Past Presidents

Nola Rae Batch                Battle Creek        2006

Mary Abel                       Temperance        2000

Lorraine Corl                    Saginaw              1998

Barbara Cable                   Grand Rapids      1994

Eleanor Whitson              Bloomfield           1991 

ElsieChristensen              Montague           1990

Irene Mitchell                   Rochester            1986

Joyce Kleiman                  Portage                1982

Carol Josephson              Grand Rapids      1978

Dianna Forster                 Traverse City       1974

Dorothy Borg                   Grand Rapids       1972

Isabel Haynes                  Farmington          1968

Ruth Hobbs                     Ann Arbor           1966

Dorothy Benton              Battle Creek          1961

Mrs. Thomas Willmore                                  1957 

Ella Koeze                        Grand Rapids         1953

Catherine Gibson            Monroe                  1948

Mrs. Lee Richardson      Lansing                  1943

Dr. Hazel Bacheller         St. Joseph               1941

Murel H. Defoe               Charlotte                 1939

Mrs. George Rogers       Jackson                   1933

Mrs. C.L. Barber              Lansing                   1929

Isabel Larwill                   Adrian                      1925

 

 

 

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