Woman's Improvement Club (Indianapolis) facts for kids

The Woman's Improvement Club was a special group started in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1903. It was created by Lillian Thomas Fox, Beulah Wright Porter, and other important African American women. They first met as a small book club to learn and grow.

The club became famous for helping people with tuberculosis, a serious lung disease, from 1905 to the mid-1930s. They were pioneers in setting up places for African American patients to get care. The women also helped during World War I and offered support to families in need and young people in Indianapolis.

By 1960, tuberculosis was not as big a problem. The club then helped the local Black community in new ways. They had a visiting nurse program and gave scholarships to students from Crispus Attucks High School. In the mid-1960s, with fewer members, the club's history was given to the Indiana Historical Society.

Starting the Club

In 1903, Lillian Thomas Fox and Beulah Wright Porter, along with other leading African American women in Indianapolis, started the Woman's Improvement Club. They began as a literary group, meeting at Fox's home. The club gave its members a chance to learn and improve themselves. This was a common goal for many Black women's clubs at that time.

Who Were the Members?

Lillian Thomas Fox was a key leader and the founder of the club. She was an African American journalist for the Indianapolis News and a community activist. She also served as the club's president. Beulah Wright Porter was a former teacher and a doctor in Indianapolis. Her medical knowledge was very helpful for the club's work with tuberculosis patients.

Many early members were well-known in Indianapolis's Black community. These included Fox, Porter, Ada Harris, Ida Webb Bryan, Roxie Belle, and Cora Jackson. Some were professionals, like teachers. Others were married to businessmen, doctors, or church leaders. Some members worked as household servants, cooks, or seamstresses. By the 1920s, most members were teachers and social workers.

The club's rules said it could only have twenty members. This small size meant the group was very close-knit. They had to work together closely on all their projects. Membership in this special club was often passed down from mothers to daughters.

Early members believed strongly in middle-class values. They were also active in other local groups. These included literary clubs, religious groups, and Black organizations like the Knights of Pythias. Being involved with other groups helped the clubwomen connect with more people. This helped them get support for their projects. Club members also supported women's right to vote.

Early Projects

The clubwomen studied topics that promoted "racial pride and unity." They also focused on women's issues. They read books by African American writers and poetry by Phyllis Wheatley. They learned about the lives of Black missionaries, inventors, and leaders. The members also held educational talks to raise money for their projects.

Important Black speakers came to their events. These included Mary Church Terrell, the first president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs. Also, W.E.B. Du Bois, a writer and editor for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. And Ida B. Wells, who fought against lynching.

In 1904, the club decided to do more than just study. They started helping the community. Their main focus became caring for African American tuberculosis patients in Indianapolis. At that time, city hospitals were segregated. They mostly served white people. There were no places for Black tuberculosis patients, even though the disease was very dangerous for them.

Helping with Health Care

By 1904, the Woman's Improvement Club (WIC) expanded its goals. Their main aim was to improve health care for Indianapolis's Black community. The club led efforts to fight tuberculosis and provide care for African Americans with the disease.

The clubwomen started by raising money. They sent small groups of at-risk Black children to the countryside. These children were often unhealthy and didn't get enough food. They were most likely to get tuberculosis. The club also set up local training programs for nurses. In the early 1900s, nursing schools in Indianapolis were segregated. This meant African American students had to leave the area to get training.

Oak Hill Camp

The club had no government money. But in 1905, they got permission from William Haueisin, a local businessman, to use his land. There, they set up Oak Hill Camp. This fresh-air camp for tuberculosis patients is thought to be the first of its kind in the United States.

Oak Hill Camp was small. It had three tents with wooden floors. There was also a temporary building. This building had a wall down the middle. One side was the camp kitchen. The other side was where the camp's matron, cook, and nurse lived. The camp only ran during the summer months, from 1905 to October 1916. It could treat six patients at a time.

The camp was run by volunteers and often didn't have enough money. But the WIC kept it going. They held many fundraising events at local churches. They also got donations from the community and their own members. The camp closed permanently in 1916. Reasons for closing included new buildings nearby, lack of money, and changes in how tuberculosis was treated.

Other Important Projects

After Oak Hill Camp closed in 1916, the clubwomen kept raising money. They continued to care for the city's Black tuberculosis patients and worked on other projects. Between 1916 and 1918, the club held many talks. These talks helped raise awareness and teach the community about tuberculosis and other health issues.

The clubwomen also worked with Mary Cable. She was the principal of Indianapolis Public School Number 24. In 1916, they helped open it as the city's first fresh-air school for African American students. The clubwomen also convinced leaders at Van Camp Packing Company to change their unfair practices. They created a new section at their Indianapolis factory staffed by African American women. In 1918, the women hired Daisy Brabham, a WIC member. She became their first paid visiting nurse and social worker.

Between 1910 and 1920, Indianapolis hospitals were segregated. The city's Black population was also growing fast. There were very few places for Black tuberculosis patients to get care. Sunnyside Sanitarium, which opened in 1917, only admitted nineteen Black patients in 1918. This was the only hospital in Marion County for tuberculosis patients. Public money was not given to help Black tuberculosis patients in the county until 1919. Despite these problems, the WIC kept working to provide tuberculosis care for Black people. They became involved in year-round social work.

Helping During Wartime

The all-Black women's club also supported the United States during World War I. They raised money for the War Chest Board. They also gave money to the National Colored Soldiers Relief Committee and the Colored Soldiers Comfort Home. The club's fundraising efforts also helped orphans of Black soldiers.

Continuing Community Service

After World War I, the WIC kept fighting to provide health care for African Americans with tuberculosis. After earlier tries didn't work, the clubwomen finally got the Indianapolis Flower Mission Hospital to open a room for Black tuberculosis patients in 1918. They also got money from the War Chest Board to help pay for it.

In 1919, the clubwomen successfully asked the Marion County commissioners for money. This money was to care for Black tuberculosis patients at Sunnyside. However, hospital reports didn't show more beds until 1926. They continued to give beds to Black patients based on their population size, which was about one-tenth of the county. To help with the lack of hospital beds, the club started providing care at the former Sisters of Charity Hospital in 1922. They ran this facility for two years. Then, in 1924, they bought a home on Agnes Street. The Agnes Street Cottage could care for six patients at a time, helping about thirty-five patients each year. In 1938, WIC members convinced the city's Flower Mission to create a separate wing at City Hospital. This wing was for Black tuberculosis patients.

Besides helping tuberculosis patients, the WIC expanded its social services in the 1920s. The clubwomen helped Black people who were poor and facing eviction. They also gave food to hungry children in the city. The women also sent some of these children to summer camps in the countryside.

Later Years

By 1960, new medicines and treatments meant tuberculosis was no longer a big health threat. The club stopped its work related to tuberculosis. However, it continued to help the local African American community in other ways. The clubwomen paid a visiting nurse. This nurse gave advice to Black families and helped them get medical care and social services. The club also gave scholarships to students graduating from Crispus Attucks High School to help them continue their education. By the mid-1960s, with fewer members, the club's historical records were given to the Indiana Historical Society.

What They Achieved

Many groups helped the Woman's Improvement Club. But the club is seen as the main leader in providing tuberculosis care for Black patients in Indianapolis. From 1905 to 1935, the club provided health care to the city's African American community. They especially helped tuberculosis patients. They also assisted poor residents and at-risk young people. The club helped its members grow personally, improve their education, and serve their community. They approached their tuberculosis work in a very professional and scientific way, which was common during the Progressive Era.