A Century of Impact: Celebrating 100 Years of SI/Spokane, WA
Congratulations to SI/Spokane, WA (Northwestern Region), on the 100th anniversary of its chartering on March 4, 1926! The club proudly holds a remarkable place in Soroptimist history as the third club in the Pacific Northwest, the 12th in North America, and the 14th worldwide.
The club’s formation began soon after the chartering of the Seattle club, when Stuart Morrow—organizer of the first Soroptimist clubs—initiated the organization of the Spokane club within just one week. By the time of the first organizational meeting on November 24, 1925, Morrow had already secured commitments from 22 women representing diverse professions, including insurance, public stenography, music, advertising, medicine, dressmaking, and printing. Group captains were appointed at this meeting, an early sign of development that helped keep charter members engaged by attending the weekly luncheon meetings at the Davenport Hotel during the months-long chartering process.
Meetings through January were open to members and guests, and featured speakers from the school board, local community groups, the state federation of women’s clubs, and the City Federation of Women’s Organizations, who spoke on “the Women’s Outlook for the Year 1926.” In addition to weekly meetings, members gathered monthly at the studio of Claudia Cunningham for social connection—building relationships alongside the work of forming a new club.
The final weeks of the club’s organization were overseen by Morrow’s assistant, state club organizer Alva O’Brien, with meetings limited to members. The club reviewed its constitution and bylaws on February 4 and formally adopted them on February 1. Two weeks later, the officers were elected: President Magdalena Doose, Vice President Alta Collier, Secretary Mary Keating, and Treasurer Byrdie Jackson. On March 4, 1926, 45 members were officially inducted at a charter banquet held at the Davenport Hotel, attended by the mayor, the school board president, and leaders and members of other Spokane community groups.
The club found footing in its early years by sponsoring Girls Week and working with the Salvation Army to build and furnish a cabin at a camp for mothers and their children. The club also established a revolving scholarship fund with two $250 donations to support business scholarships for young women—an investment that had already provided more than $2,000 in assistance by 1931.
From these beginnings, SI/Spokane has forged a century-long legacy of commitment to the women and girls in Spokane and its surrounding communities, embodying the power of service, leadership and collective action.
Congratulations to all its current and former members on this amazing milestone—and for 100 years of impact that continues to inspire the future!
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