Woman's Club of Swarthmore records

The Woman's Club of Swarthmore was founded in 1898. It first met in the home of Mrs. Maria Kemp Hoadley, wife of Swarthmore College faculty member, George Hoadley. The group soon decided to start a club open to all members of the community. Ellen Price framed a constitution for the group and guided members in parliamentary procedure. Mrs. Hoadley served as the first president. The Club's mission was "the education of Women in all lines affecting their special work in the home and their general influence in the Community."

In 1900 the Club became a member of the Federated Women's Clubs. In 1907, it purchased a lot on Park Avenue, and in 1908, Swarthmore Woman's Club moved into its own clubhouse, designed by Edward Stanton in the Mission Style. In the early days, the Club was divided into study groups called "Sections," including Mothers' Section, Current Events, and Garden.

The Club offered women of the community a means of support and education, a place to meet and find common interests. It nurtured the founding of a number of community organizations, including the Needlework Guild and the Swarthmore Public Library. The Clubhouse was open to all community groups and became the home for the newly founded Players Club of Swarthmore, Girl Scout Troop 16, and social dances for teens.

While it was a central focus in the community through the mid-20th century, declining membership and rising costs forced the Club to sell its Clubhouse in 1991. With the funds derived from the sale, the Woman's Club reorganized as the Woman's Club of Swarthmore Foundation and increased its philanthropic efforts, including donations to community service groups and scholarships to graduating high school seniors. In 2008, the Foundation was dissolved and its assets donated to the Swarthmore Public Library.