The Kirkwood-Webster Groves Branch of the American Association of University Women presents guest speaker Dr. Anne Flaherty, assistant professor of political science, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
The branch meeting of AAUW is open to the public. Anyone interested in learning more about AAUW is invited to attend.
In 1949 the National Board of the American Association of University Women adopted a policy of racial nondiscrimination and amended its bylaws to allow any woman with a degree from an approved institution admission into local branches, regardless of the local branch members' approval. Many local branches resisted this move, which had the effect of allowing African American women into the organization. In St. Louis, the case caused a rift within the local branch. The group formally divided into the St. Louis Branch of the American Association of University Women and The College Club of St. Louis because of dispute over local control of membership criteria and admission. The split resulted in a lawsuit over the groups' property, which was decided in the 1956 Missouri Supreme Court case Graham v Kirchner. This research explores the historical process and conflicts of desegregation with a focus on the St. Louis AAUW, and reflects on the power of women and women’s organizations to promote social change.