Woman's Improvement Club (Indianapolis) facts for kids

The Woman's Improvement Club in Indianapolis, Indiana, was started in 1903. It was founded 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 its big efforts to help African American people with tuberculosis. From 1905 to the mid-1930s, they created places for these patients to get care. The club members also helped during World War I. They provided support to people in Indianapolis who were struggling, including young African Americans.

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 records were given to the Indiana Historical Society.

Starting the Club: How It Began

Many Black women's clubs formed in the early 1900s. The Woman's Improvement Club was one of them. Lillian Thomas Fox, Beulah Wright Porter, and other important women in Indianapolis started it in 1903. They met at Fox's home as a literary group. The club gave its members a chance to learn and improve themselves.

Who Were the Members?

Lillian Thomas Fox was a key leader and founder of the club. She was an African American journalist for the Indianapolis News. She was also active in local community work and served as the club's president. Beulah Wright Porter was a former teacher and a doctor in Indianapolis. She was also a principal in the Indianapolis Public Schools. Her medical knowledge was very helpful for the club's charity 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 professional women or teachers. Others were married to professional men like doctors or business owners. 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. They had to work together closely on all their projects. Membership in this special club was often passed down from mother to daughter.

Early club members strongly believed in middle-class values. They were also active in other local groups. These included literary clubs, church groups, and Black organizations in Indianapolis. Their connections with other groups, doctors, business people, and church leaders helped them get support for their projects. Club members also supported women's right to vote.

Early Activities: Helping the Community

The club members studied topics important to women. They read books by African American writers. They also read poetry by Phyllis Wheatley. They learned about the lives of Black missionaries, inventors, and leaders. The club also held educational talks to raise money for their projects. Famous Black speakers included Mary Church Terrell, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Ida B. Wells.

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

Health Care Efforts: Fighting Tuberculosis

By 1904, the club expanded its goals to include community service. 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 club members first raised money to send sick Black children to the countryside. These children were often unhealthy and didn't have enough food. They were most likely to get tuberculosis. The club also started local training programs for nurses. In the early 1900s, nurse training in Indianapolis hospitals was segregated. This meant Black students had to leave the area to get similar experience.

Oak Hill Camp: A Place to Heal

The club did not get money from the government. But they got permission from William Haueisin, a local businessman, to set up Oak Hill Camp on his land in 1905. This "fresh-air" camp for tuberculosis patients was likely 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 with a wall down the middle. One side was the kitchen, and the other was for the camp's matron, cook, and nurse. The camp was open only during the summer from 1905 to October 1916. It could treat six patients at a time. The camp was run by volunteers and often needed money. But the club kept it going with fundraisers at churches, donations, and money from their own pockets. It closed permanently in 1916. New buildings being built nearby, not enough money, and new ways of treating tuberculosis likely caused its closure.

Other Important Projects

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

For example, the club worked with Mary Cable, a school principal. In 1916, they helped open Indianapolis Public School Number 24 as the city's first "fresh-air" school for African American students. The club 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 club hired Daisy Brabham, one of their members, as 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. It 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 club kept working to provide tuberculosis care for Black people. They started year-round social work.

Supporting the War Effort

Besides their health care work, 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 also helped children whose fathers were Black soldiers.

Ongoing Community Service

After World War I, the club continued its fight to provide health care for African Americans with tuberculosis. After earlier tries failed, the Indianapolis Flower Mission Hospital finally agreed to open a room for Black tuberculosis patients in 1918. The club also got money from the War Chest Board to help pay for it.

In 1919, the club successfully asked the Marion County leaders to give money to care for Black tuberculosis patients at Sunnyside. However, hospital reports did not show more beds for Black patients until 1926. They continued to give beds to Black patients based on their small percentage of the county's population. 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 place 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, about thirty-five patients each year. In 1938, club members convinced the city's Flower Mission to create a separate section at City Hospital to care for Black tuberculosis patients.

The club also expanded its social services in the 1920s. They helped poor Black people facing eviction. They gave food to hungry African American children in the city. The women also sent some of these children to summer camps in the countryside.

Later Years and Legacy

By 1960, new medicines and treatments meant tuberculosis was no longer a major health threat. The club stopped its tuberculosis work. But it continued to help the local African American community in other ways. The club paid a visiting nurse to give advice to Black families. This nurse also 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 records were given to the Indiana Historical Society.

The Woman's Improvement Club was seen as the main leader in providing tuberculosis care for Black patients in Indianapolis. From 1905 to 1935, the club provided health care, especially for tuberculosis patients. They also helped poor residents and at-risk youth. The club gave its members chances to grow, learn, and serve their community. They approached their tuberculosis work in a very professional and scientific way, common during the Progressive Era.