Ossoli Circle facts for kids
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| Motto | Strength in union |
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| Formation | November 20, 1885 |
| Purpose | education and service |
| Headquarters | Knoxville, Tennessee, USA |
| Location |
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| Affiliations | General Federation of Women's Clubs |
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Ossoli Circle Clubhouse
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| Location | 2511 Cumberland Avenue |
| Nearest city | Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Built | 1933 |
| Architect | Charles I. Barber |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000620 |
| Added to NRHP | March 21, 1985 |
| Website | GFWCOssoliCircle.org/ |
The Ossoli Circle is a special club for women in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It started in 1885 as a group focused on books and learning. This club was one of the first to join the General Federation of Women's Clubs. It was also the very first club of its kind in the Southern United States.
For a long time, the Ossoli Circle has worked to help women get better chances in education and jobs in Tennessee. Its members even helped fight for the 19th Amendment. This important amendment gave women the right to vote in the early 1900s. Today, the club supports many different projects and groups.
Contents
What is the History of the Ossoli Circle?
How the Club Started
The Ossoli Circle was created by Lizzie Crozier French (1851–1926). She was a strong supporter of women's rights. Lizzie was inspired after visiting the Sorosis Women's Club in New York. That club, started in 1868, was also a literary and book club.
The first meeting of the Ossoli Circle happened on November 20, 1885. It took place at the East Tennessee Female Institute. Lizzie Crozier French invited 25 women, and 12 of them came. The club's first president, Mary Boyce Temple (1856–1929), suggested the name. They chose to honor Margaret Fuller Ossoli, a famous feminist. At first, the Ossoli Circle aimed to help its members grow intellectually and morally.
Who Were the Early Members?
Many of the first members of the Ossoli Circle were highly educated women from Knoxville. Lizzie Crozier French was the director of the East Tennessee Female Institute. She had studied at the Convent of the Visitation in Washington, D.C..
Mary Boyce Temple had graduated from Vassar College. Angie Warren Perkins (1858–1921) had been a professor at Wellesley College. Mary Faith Floyd McAdoo (1832–1913) was a well-known writer in the region. Annie Booth McKinney (1855–1926) often wrote for popular magazines. These included Harper's Bazaar, Munsey's Magazine, and Vogue.
Connecting with Other Women's Clubs
In 1889, Lizzie Crozier French represented the Ossoli Circle at a meeting. This meeting was held at the Sorosis Club. Its goal was to create the General Federation of Women's Clubs. The next year, Ossoli members Mary Boyce Temple and Annie Booth McKinney attended the Federation's official meeting. Mary Boyce Temple was chosen as the Federation's first corresponding secretary.
In 1896, the Ossoli Circle helped start the Tennessee Federation of Women's Clubs. By this time, the Ossoli Circle had grown to 75 members.
Helping with Education
In the early 1890s, the Ossoli Circle started focusing on education for girls. They looked into whether boys and girls could study together at state universities. The University of Tennessee began accepting women in 1892. This was partly because of Lizzie Crozier French's hard work. Ossoli president Angie Warren Perkins became the University of Tennessee's first Dean of Women.
In the early 1900s, the Ossoli Circle helped fund libraries that traveled to different places. They also helped schools in rural areas. The Circle was also important in setting up a state vocational school for girls. This school taught girls useful skills for jobs.
Celebrating Milestones
In 1960, the Ossoli Circle celebrated its 75th anniversary. To mark this, Mrs. E.L. Bowman put together a 268-page "History of Ossoli Circle." For the club's 100th anniversary in 1985, they buried a time capsule. This time capsule was opened in 2010, when the Circle celebrated its 125th anniversary.
What Services Does the Ossoli Circle Provide?
The Ossoli Circle currently supports more than two dozen different groups and projects. Some of the organizations they help include St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, UNICEF, and the East Tennessee Historical Society. They also support the Suffragist Coalition, Childhelp, the Knox Area Rescue Ministry, and the Young-Williams Animal Shelter.
About the Ossoli Circle Clubhouse
Where Did They Meet?
In its early years, the Ossoli Circle met at the Mosaic Hall. This hall was part of the East Tennessee Female Institute in downtown Knoxville. After the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897, some Ossoli members moved Knoxville's exhibition building from Nashville to Knoxville. They renamed it the "Woman's Building." The Ossoli Circle met there until it burned down in 1906.
From 1917, the Circle met at the Lyceum Building. This building was torn down in the early 1930s. A new building, the Knoxville Post Office, was built in its place.
The Current Clubhouse Building
The Ossoli Circle's current clubhouse is on Cumberland Avenue. It was built in 1933. The building was designed in the Colonial Revival style by Charles I. Barber. He was a well-known architect from Knoxville.
The front of the building has a pedimented portico. This is a porch-like entrance with a triangular roof. It is held up by Doric columns. Inside, there is a vestibule (an entrance hall) that leads to a lobby. There is also a hallway with Ionic pilasters (flat columns). The building has an auditorium that can hold about 200 people. It also has a library, a dining room, and classrooms.
The Ossoli Circle Clubhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This happened just in time for the Circle's 100th anniversary.
