PORT TOWNSEND BRANCH HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

PORT TOWNSEND 1948

  • Early History

    In 1948, Edith Miller and Dorothy Meyers and about 35 other women founded the Port Townsend branch of AAUW. They got busy right away, raising awareness and bringing culture to the area. In that first year they started a preschool, sponsored a Girl Scout troop and brought culture to Port Townsend with an art exhibit from the Seattle Art Museum and a play from University of Washington. They also raised money to sponsor a local theater group that ultimately became Key City Players 20 years later. They also supported a summer school for the arts at Fort Worden, helping pave they way for what we now know as Centrum.

  • growth

    Membership really began to take off in the late 80s and 90s. In 1991, membership stood at 121. The Branch could no longer meet in people’s homes and branch meetings were held at the Yacht Club. In 2008 Branch was the largest branch in Washington state at over 150 members and enjoys about that many members today.

  • providing local scholarships

    In 1948, women accounted for less than 24% of college graduates and the branch members wanted to encourage local girls to go to college, so they sponsored a tea for graduating seniors. They wanted to honor girls for graduating from high school and to encourage them to go to college. The teas became workshops for freshman girls to explore college and career opportunities. In 1977 the first scholarship was offered for $100.00 and in 1994 the first $1000.00 academic scholarship was awarded. In 2025 the Branch awarded $173,610 in scholarship and educational grant monies and awards to 44 local women and girls.

  • fundraising

    AAUW Port Townsend Branch’s primary fundraising was selling concessions at Centrum’s summer concerts. In 1994 the Branch established University Womans Foundation (UWF) as the 501(c)(3) arm of the Branch so that funds raised locally could be converted to scholarships for local woman and girls. Today the Branch fundraises primarily through a Silent Auction in the Fall and the Home & Kitchen Tour in the Spring. In 2024 a record setting $34,700 was raised with these two events.

  • 1948-1949       Dorothy Meyers 

    1949-1952       Dorothy Maxwell 

    1952-1956       Jane Campbell 

    1956-1958       Maxine Brown 

    1958-1960       Laila Harms 

    1960-1962       Odelola Brecht 

    1962-1964       Kathy (Kanarr) Gibson 

    1964-1966       Mary Warfield 

    1966-1968       Sally Huntingford 

    1968-1970       Billie Hoglund 

    1970-1972       Kay Wilson Wojt 

    1972-1974       Helen Brink 

    1974-1976       Marcia Switzer 

    1976-1978       Dorothy Hermanson 

    1978-1979       Beverly (Lamb) Shelton 

    1979-1982       Lois Smith 

    1982-1983       Barbara Anderson 

    1983-1986       Joy Goodrich 

    1986-1988       Harriet Small 

    1988-1990       Donna Larson 

    1990-1992       Virginia Wolf 

    1992-1994       Elmira K. Beyer 

    1994-1996       Valerie Parker 

    1996-1998       Gay Eisenberger 

    1998-1999       Anne Schneider 

    1998-2000       Macy Galbreath

    1999-2001       Jane Ansley 

    2000-2002       Linda Kostenbader

    2001-2003       Mary Grace Swift 

    2002-2003       Elizabeth Arnel-Minter

    2003-2004       Presidents Council

    2003-2005      Katherine Buchanan 

    2004-2006       Kay Goetz 

    2005-2007       Rodie Abrams

    2006-2008       Anita Snell 

    2007-2009       Judy Blair

    2008-2010       Mary Weeding 

    2009-2011       Polly Lyle

    2010-2012       Carol Andreasen 

    2011-2013       Michael Kubec

    2012-2014       Vicky Miller 

    2013-2015       Susie Pool Moses

    2014-2016       Nancy Machette 

    2015-2017       Lynn Meyer

    2016-2018       Jean Stastny

    2017-2019       Dale Spears

    2018-2020       Patti Ivers 

    2019-2021      Mary Biskup

    2020-2022      Gina Webber

    2021-2023       Rena Hect

    2022- 2024      Johna Beall-Ohlmann

    2024 - 2025     Leslie Freeman

  • 1977-1979 Billie (Hogland) Christiansen, President

    1996-1998 Valerie Parker, Bylaws Chair

    1998-2000 Valerie Parker, Bylaws Chair

    1999-2000 Gail Jenkins, Scholars Recognition

    1999-2001 Gay Eisenberger, VP Programs

    2001-2002 Gay Eisenberger, Scholars Recognition

    2002-2004 Gay Eisenberger, President

    2005-2006 Gay Eisenberger, Nominating Chair

    2009-2011 Judy Blair, Public Policy Co-Chair

    2010-2012 Tina Flores-McCleese, VP Finance

    2009-2014 Judy Blair, Lobby Day Chair

    2015-2018 Jeanie Glaspell, Secretary

    2017-2019 Eileen Bartucci, VP Programs

    2017-2025 Leslie Roubal, Webmaster

  • 1993-1994       Elmira Beyer, Kathy Gibson, Virginia Wolf 

    1994-1995       Gay Eisenberger, Roberta Frissell, Ellin Larimer 

    1995-1996       Grace Chawes, Clover Gowing, Joy Goodrich, Dorothy Hermanson, Harriet Small 

    1996-1997       Anne Burns, Valerie Parker, Lois Smith 

    1997-1998       Jane Ansley, Ruth Merryman, Carrie Muellner 

    1998-1999       Black, Donna Ione Larson 

    1999-2000      Anne Schneider 

    2001-2002       Macy Galbreath 

    2003-2004      Linda Kostenbader 

    2004-2005      Rodie Abrams, Mary Kippenhan 

    2005-2006      Kathy Constantine 

    2006-2007      Kay Goetz 

    2007-2008      Lynne Bennett 

    2008-2009      Mary Grace Swift 

    2009-2010      Ilona Bell, Anita Snell 

    2010-2011      Mary Weeding 

    2011-2012       Judy Blair 

    2012-2013      Polly Lyle 

    2013-2014      Diane Allen 

    2014-2015      Katherine Buchanan 

    2015-2016      Jeanie Glaspell 

    2016-2017      Gail Rodgers 

    2017-2018      Michael Kubec 

    2018-2019      Jean Stastny 

    2019-2020      Carol Andreasen 

    2020-2021      Lynn Meyer 

    2021-2022       Cheryl Bentley

    2022-2023 Leslie Roubal

    2023-2024 Patti Ivers

    2024-2025 Vicky Miller