National Association of University WomenNortheast Section History
In March 1910, when Dr. Sara Winifred Brown, Dr. Nancy Fairfax Brown, Mary Elizabeth Cromwell, and Mary Church Terrell discussed starting an alumni club for college women graduates, their “dream” resulted in the establishment of the College Alumnae Club in Washington D.C. The membership grew over the years and when in 1919 it became necessary to ask the members from other geographic regions to start another club beyond the Washington DC area, Baltimore answered the call.
Four years later, our founder Mary Elizabeth Cromwell, recommended that we should look to moving beyond the local area and become a national organization. In 1924 we expanded to a national organization called the National Association of College Women. Immediately, it was recognized that we had to have regions in order to meet the needs of the members in the various geographic areas. At that time until 1938 the East Region encompassed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York. The North Region encompassed New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, DC, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
It was not until approximately 1939 that this region, as it is known today. became the Northeast Section. The Northeast Section encompasses Washington DC to Maine. Today there are 14 branches in the Northeast Section from Washington DC to New York. Each administration of the Section endeavors to expand the Section to other geographic areas but to date have not been successful in this endeavor.
The Section is proud to be the “historic” Section of the organization since it began in Washington D.C.. The National headquarters is located in Washington DC. This Section also boasts about its rich history of having the most national presidents of the organization. To date we have had 12 presidents of the 23 women who have served in this capacity. From its inception NAUW is a service and educational organization.