Faculty Women's Club Bids Farewell After 85 Years

Faculty Women's Club Bids Farewell After 85 Years

By Amanda BallardUniversity Relations - Communications
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After 85 years of operation, the Faculty Women's Club held its farewell bash on May 6.
After 85 years of operation, the Faculty Women's Club held its farewell bash on May 6.
The Faculty Women's Club was created in 1930 to better connect the spouses of UA faculty members with one another and the community.
The Faculty Women's Club was created in 1930 to better connect the spouses of UA faculty members with one another and the community.
Vicki Peterson served as presiding board member of the Faculty Women's Club at the time of its dissolution.
Vicki Peterson served as presiding board member of the Faculty Women's Club at the time of its dissolution.
Former UA President John Schaefer and his wife, Helen, attended the farewell luncheon.
Former UA President John Schaefer and his wife, Helen, attended the farewell luncheon.
Ramona Brown was a member of the Faculty Women's Club since 1952.
Ramona Brown was a member of the Faculty Women's Club since 1952.

In 1930, the wife of then-UA President Homer LeRoy Shantz gathered the wives of the six UA college deans together to form a social group.

They called themselves the Faculty Women's Club, and they set out with the mission to better connect the spouses of UA faculty members with one another and the community. After 85 years of doing just that, the club has now come to an end.

What started as a gathering over tea grew into regular luncheons and special interest groups, dedicated to activities like book discussions, trying foreign foods, hiking, speaking Spanish, playing bridge and more. Membership also evolved over the years to include female University employees in addition to employees' spouses. At its peak, the Faculty Women's Club had more than 430 members.

However, due to declining membership in recent years, board members voted to disband the club last year. Members gathered for their last luncheon on May 6 at Skyline Country Club to share their memories and celebrate their accomplishments.

"When we first came to the UA, it was a great way to meet new people," said Helen Schaefer, wife of former UA President John Schaefer, who served as president of the University from 1971 until 1982. "It's evolved since then. It's been a wonderful experience."

Although the club will cease to officially exist, the friendships formed between many of the members will continue.

"I, like so many others, have made such good friends over the years," said Vicki Peterson, who served as presiding board member of the Faculty Women's Club at the time of its dissolution.

In addition to many fond memories, the club is leaving a legacy in the form of scholarship endowment funds, which will continue to grow through contributions and bequests. The Faculty Women's Club has helped with the creation of the George G. Harvill, Phyllis Koffler, Dr. Helen S. Schaefer and Helen Swalin scholarships.

"To me, the most important thing about all of this is the scholarships," said Elaine Bryant, who was a member of the Faculty Women's Club for the past five years. "That's why I joined. ... It was also a quick way to get to know the community."

Ramona Brown was a member of the Faculty Women's Club since 1952, when her husband joined the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

"I think I'll miss the camaraderie," Brown said. "I've been a member for so long. I've met a lot of very interesting people. I had a good time. I will miss that."

Sheila Lepley joined the club after she moved to Tucson with her husband, who accepted a research position in arid lands studies. She joined the club in the early 1970s to become more immersed in the University community, and enjoyed activities like horseback riding, tennis lessons and cooking.

"If it hadn't been for this wonderful club, my entry into a social life here in Tucson would have surely gotten off to a much slower start," she said.

Betty Feinberg became a club member in 1977 when her husband joined the UA Department of Philosophy. She said she had fond memories of many hiking trips she took and friendships she formed while participating in the Faculty Women's Club.

"Through the club, I got to know women I would never have met otherwise and made my most treasured, enduring friendships," she said.

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