Silver Service and Sisterhood: A Toast to the Hartwick Women’s Club
Tucked away in a Dewar Hall storage area, a tarnished collection of silver serving dishes and utensils reminds us of a once-vibrant campus organization, the Hartwick College Women’s Club.
Formed in 1934 by women employees and “faculty wives,” the club had a mission to benefit and serve Hartwick College through special projects and cultural and social activities. It also functioned as a social networking tool for the women of Hartwick College and those at SUNY Oneonta, with whom they often collaborated.
The Hartwick College Women’s Club was a forerunner to several offices active on campus today. Its members organized a wide range of events, including holiday parties, dinners, fundraisers, music and theater performances, talks, freshman welcomes and senior sendoffs. A hallmark of these gatherings was the serving of tea and other refreshments, a long-standing tradition managed by the club’s hospitality committee.
Photos are part of the collection in Hartwick College Paul F. Cooper, Jr. Archives.
