Study club celebrates 125 years of service
The spirit and enthusiasm of Dublin women throughout the past century was celebrated as the Woman’s Thursday Club of Dublin hosted its 125th anniversary Saturday, March 25.
The anniversary celebration was held at the Little Church on Grafton Street and featured a beautiful display of purple – the club’s color – on each table.
More than 30 members and special guests attended the celebration. The club was organized on March 2, 1898, by seven progressive women interested in continuing education for themselves and their own small town.
Most of the members were school teachers and they called their meeting at 4 p.m. every Thursday afternoon, September through May, except when major holidays fell on their meeting days.
The club is affiliated with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs joining in 1914 and the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs, joining in 1902. The objects of this club are to be social, literary, cultural and charitable.
One of the most important parts of the club’s history is the continued support of the Dublin Public Library.
Prior to World War I, the club operated a lending library downtown in Dublin. In 1932, while Mrs. Ed Snead was president, the club purchased four lots adjacent to the business section of Dublin, and cleared them to make a park, eventually named Shamrock Park. A meeting house was built in the park and the club donated the park to the city of Dublin in 1945. In 1952, a lending library was chartered and occupied the Girl Scout House in Shamrock Park.
Today, the club continues to serve as a pool of volunteers for the Dublin Public Library. The club also makes periodic contributions to the library and its members donate considerably to the library on an individual basis.
Throughout the club’s 125 years of service, a wide variety of projects were completed and it still provides an annual scholarship to a high school senior, contributes to the Goodfellows and is currently contributing goods and funding to the Christian Women’s and Men’s Job Corps. They also recently held a reception for the Miss Dublin Pageant contestants.
As a study club, the ladies have learned about a variety of items over the years including studying plays such as King Lear, book reviews of Texas authors, heard from Tarleton professors who have spoken on a variety of occasions.
Currently, the club is studying about topics regarding the history of Erath County such as the history of Tarleton University, the history of Erath County newspapers and growth of communities in Erath County.
In honor of the club’s 125th anniversary, several proclamations were presented to the club including one from the city of Dublin dedicating March 2, 2023 as Dublin Woman’s Thursday Club 125th Anniversary Day. A proclamation was also provided by Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs State President Billie Williams who was in attendance along with Kathy Horak-Smith Second Vice President and a Tarleton professor.
The club is a part of the Pioneer District and President Lou Hitt and First Vice President Kerry Dudley were also in attendance at the celebration, providing a celebration certificate.
Two special guests that the club was extra excited to get the opportunity to visit with was James Akard and his sister, Elouise O’ Dannon. Their great grandmother, Mrs. W.C. Akard, was an early member and president of the Woman’s Thursday Club of Dublin. Also in attendance was Ben Pate, the President of the Dublin Historical Society and member of the Erath County Historical Commission and Sheryl Reed Rascher, author of the History of Erath County.
Rascher shared remarks with the club and congratulated them on all their success.
The ladies and their guests enjoyed a lunch provided by Blackjack’s along with strawberry and chocolate anniversary cakes for dessert.
A skit was performed, based on entertainment previously held during anniversary celebrations.