Quick Facts About the NFRW

[ En Espanol ]

WHO
WHAT
WHERE
CAPSULE HISTORY
CHARTER MEMBERS
STATE AFFILIATION
HISTORY OF NFRW'S NAME
NFRW EMBLEM/SEAL
NFRW PRESIDENTS

WHO
Founded in 1938, the National Federation of Republican Women is a grassroots political organization with thousands of active members in local clubs across the nation and in several U.S. territories, making it one of the largest and most influential women's political organizations in the country. We work to promote the principles, objectives and policies of the Republican Party; elect Republican candidates; inform the public through political education and activity; and, increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government.

A woman becomes a member by joining her local club or through a national associate membership. Members of a local club also are granted membership in their state Federation. State Federations are chartered under the auspices of the NFRW but operate under their own bylaws. Although independent, state Federation bylaws must not conflict with the NFRW bylaws.   [MORE ON MEMBERSHIP]
 

WHAT
Once an auxiliary of the Republican National Committee (RNC), the NFRW is financially and organizationally independent today.
The NFRW uses its resources to:

  Promote an informed public through political education and activity;
  Increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government;
  Facilitate cooperation among the National and state Federations of Republican women's clubs;
 
Foster loyalty to the Republican Party and promote its principles and candidates in all elections, including non-partisan elections; and,
 
Support Republican objectives and policies and work for the election of Republican nominees.

In working toward these objectives, the NFRW concentrates its efforts in the areas of educating, communicating, recruiting, campaigning, fundraising, training and legislative action.
 

WHERE
The NFRW's national headquarters are located at:
124 N. Alfred Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Telephone: 703.548.9688 
Fax: 703.548.9836
E-mail: mail@nfrw.org  
Web site: www.nfrw.org
 

CAPSULE HISTORY
The NFRW was founded at a conference held at Chicago's Palmer House in 1938. With the encouragement of Republican National Committee Chairman John D. M. Hamilton, it was organized under the direction of Marion E. Martin, then assistant chairman of the Republican National Committee and National Committeewoman for Maine.

The organization originally was known as the National Federation of Women's Republican Clubs of America (NFWRC), but the name was changed in January 1953 to the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW). At the time of organization in 1938, local clubs totaling 95,000 members had applied for affiliation.   [MORE HISTORY]
 

CHARTER MEMBERS
The 11 statewide Federations that organized as charter members in 1938 were California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The 13 additional states, represented by 75 individual local clubs, were Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. To be considered "statewide" at that time, a state Federation or local club had to have members in 60 percent of the counties of that state. (Later this rule was changed to cover either 50 percent of the counties or 75 percent of the state's congressional districts.)

Since 1952, the Federation's presidents have served as ex officio members of the Executive Committee of the Republican National Committee.
The elected presidents of the NFRW -- all of whom rose through the ranks of state Federations and all of whom served as volunteers -- have hailed from such divergent states as California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. NFRW biennial conventions have drawn thousands of delegates to cities across the nation.

STATE AFFILIATION
Following are the years each state first qualified for affiliation with the Federation:

Alabama - 1962
Alaska - 1962
Arizona - 1940
Arkansas - 1955
California - 1938 charter
Colorado - 1938 charter
Connecticut - 1938 charter
Delaware - 1952
District of Columbia - 1938 charter
Florida - 1950
Georgia - 1957
Hawaii - 1947
Idaho - 1944
Illinois - 1940
Indiana - 1938 charter
Iowa - 1939
Kansas - 1938
Kentucky - 1947
Louisiana - 1953
Maine - 1946
Maryland - 1938 charter
Massachusetts - 1940
Michigan - 1938 charter
Minnesota - 1941
Mississippi - 1961
Missouri - 1938 charter
Montana - 1938 charter
Nebraska - 1956
Nevada
- 1950
New Hampshire
- 1944
New Jersey - 1938 charter
New Mexico - 1939
New York - 1939
North Carolina
- 1953
North Dakota - 1940

Ohio - 1940
Oklahoma - 1941
Oregon - 1940
Pennsylvania - 1938 charter
Puerto Rico - 1963
Rhode Island - 1950

South Carolina - 1961
South Dakota - 1956

Tennessee - 1955
Texas - 1955

Utah - 1941
Vermont - 1941
Virginia - 1953
Washington - 1945
West Virginia - 1939
Wisconsin - 1940
Wyoming - 1939


HISTORY OF NFRW'S NAME
The organization's original name was the National Federation of Women's Republican Clubs of America (NFWRC). That name was changed in January 1953 to the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW). The NFRW, although originally under the umbrella of the Republican National Committee, is an independent, self-supporting organization today.


NFRW EMBLEM/SEAL
The seal of the National Federation of Republican Women is a registered trademark. To view the seal, or for more information, click here.


NFRW PRESIDENTS
Sue Lynch, (WI) 2010-2011
Shirley Sadler, (OH) 2008-2009
Beverly Davis, (UT) 2006-2007
Dianne Thompson, (TX) 2004-2005
Heidi Smith, (NV) 2002-2003
Marian Miller, (IN) 2000-2001
Mary Jo Arndt, (IL) 1998-99
Marilyn Thayer, (LA) 1996-97
Charlotte Mousel, (CA) 1994-95
Huda Jones, (KY) 1990-93
Judy Hughes, (CO) 1986-89
Betty J. Rendel, (IN) 1981-85
Betty Heitman, (LA) 1978-80
Patricia Hutar, (IL) 1976-77
Constance Dean Armitage, (SC) 1972-75
Gladys O'Donnell, (CA) 1968-71
Dorothy Andrews Kabis, (DE) 1963-67
Ruth Parks, (CO) 1961-62
Mary Catherine Gibson, (MI) 1957-60
Nora Kearns, (PA) 1953-56
Elizabeth Farrington, (HI) 1949-52
Peggy Green, (MA) 1947-48
Marie Suthers, (IL) 1943-46
Judy Weis, (NY) 1941-42
Joyce Arneill, (CO) 1939-40

For more information on the NFRW presidents, click here.


NFRW headquarters

National Federation of Republican Women
124 N. Alfred Street  |  Alexandria, VA  22314  |  703.548.9688  |  703.548.9836 (fax)
www.nfrw.org
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