UCLA Faculty Women's Club  (FWC)

Los Angeles City Hall Proclamation

Sixteen members of the Faculty Women’s Club (many of whom are past presidents of the club) visited Los Angeles City Hall in April 2015 for a special ceremony in council chambers. Los Angeles Councilmember—and UCLA alumnus—Paul Koretz presented Rochelle Caballero (then president) and Carol Betti (then president-elect) with a Proclamation from the City of Los Angeles in recognition of FWC’s 96th anniversary.

Political Action

The Faculty Women’s Club (FWC) originated as a political action group. In 1918 there were moves afoot to create a four-year college in Southern California. Focusing on women's groups in the State, women of the faculty of the Los Angeles Normal School formed a Faculty Women's Club in order to help gather support for the proposed four-year college. In 1919 the Normal School became the Southern Branch of the University of California. Once the political objective was achieved, the FWC met to consider the club's future. By the spring of 1920 the first constitution and purpose of the FWC of the Southern Branch of the University of California had been drafted.

Scholarships

Although the first declared purposes did not include specific mention of scholarships, yet the treasurer's report for 1920-1921 includes the entry: $30.00 for Student Loan Fund. This fund — the first of its kind at UCLA— was the modest beginning for the club's present scholarship program. The club has continued, without interruption, endeavoring to fulfill the founders' hope that it would "create a broader view and deeper interest in the civic, political and social life in our community."

Purpose

To promote good fellowship for UCLA women faculty and faculty wives as well as women staff and wives of staff who are directly connected with the academic aspects of the University. To promote educational and social activities. To provide educational scholarships for UCLA students.

Organization

Annually a new President and five officers are elected at the spring business meeting and take office by July 1. Additional board members, between fifteen and twenty, are appointed by the President.

Activities

Six General Meetings with guest speakers are scheduled at the UCLA Faculty Center. Three of the meetings take place in the afternoon and three in the evening. The February evening meeting is a dinner at which the FWC scholarship winners are honored. A Newcomers event is scheduled at the beginning of each year to welcome new faculty to the campus.

Sections

The Club sponsors more than twenty special interest sections which meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.  Groups for activities and discussion include Birthday Club, Books, Bridge, Foreign Language Conversation (French, German, and Spanish), Playreading, and Travel.  Galleries and Sights visits museums, libraries, gardens and historical sights in Los Angeles and its vicinity.  Interesting restaurants are visited monthly by the Let's Do Lunch members.  Skills can be acquired and enhanced in Art of Living, Garden Tours, Genealogy, and International Cooking.  For the athletically inclined there are Bicycling, Tai Chi, Tennis, and Walking and Hiking.  The FWC welcomes the addition of new sections at any time to accommodate members' interests.

Publications

FWC publications are generally designed and produced by members of the Computer section and include the following:
• FWC UPDATE, our organization’s newsletter published five times annually
• Survival Guide for New UCLA Faculty, which is updated periodically
• Various flyers
• First Edition, a collection of members’ writings published by the Writers section