HISTORY

Learn about our past.

"The movement is a sort of mosaic. Each of us puts in one little stone,
and then you get a great mosaic at the end."   

~ Alice Paul (1885-1977)

NFDW HISTORY

 
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On October 6, 1971, Rilla Moran Woods of Tennessee called a breakfast meeting during the Democratic Women's Leadership Conference at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C. to discuss the possibility of forming a National Federation. There were 27 women present from 8 states present who voted to federate and selected Rilla as Temporary Chair. They set the first annual meeting for May 26-27, 1972, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gwen McFarland of Nashville was in charge of arrangements for the Convention held at the Airport Hilton Inn. Rilla was elected President; Paula Saywer of Maine, VP; Florine James of Ohio, Treasurer (later replaced by Frankie Breashears of Colorado), and Betty Gill of West Virginia, Secretary. Melba Till Allen of Alabama was appointed Finance/Budget Chair.

At the 2nd Annual Meeting on May 25-26, 1973, at the Shorham Hotel in Washington, D.C., by-laws were adopted. The objective of the Federation was to “unite women of the Democratic Party to promote the cause of the Democratic party and to encourage full participation in every level of the Democratic structure.”

The early emphasis of the National Federation of Democratic Women was to prepare women to run for delegate to the Democratic National Committee (DNC)’s Mid-Term Conference where the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States would be adopted and to pursue delegate seats to the National Convention. The Charter Commission was formed by the DNC to codify a set of rules for the National Committee. Rilla understood that this was the place to gain formal recognition for the Federation as the women’s organization of the Party and gained membership on the Commission. C. DeLores Tucker was named to the Commission as a member of the Pennslyvania State Committee and the Secretary of State of Pennslyvania. As the Oregon Democratic Party State Chair, Caroline Wilkins was named as a member of the newly formed State Chairs Association. The goal was to have NFDW named as the official women’s organization in the Party Charter.

In December of 1974, the Charter was adopted at the DNC’s Mid-Term Conference in Kansas City, Missouri and we were recognized as the official women's organization. Rilla Moran Woods, C. DeLores Tucker, and Caroline Wilkins were instrumental in establishing this official recognition for NFDW through their work on the Charter Commission and the 1976 Convention Committee. The NFDW was accorded three seats on the DNC and the President of the NFDW was granted a seat on DNC Executive Committee.

Rilla served as President when Jean Ohm of South Dakota was elected President. At this convention, the women of the Federation established the Founders Internship for a young woman between the ages of 18 and 25 to work at the Democratic National Committee.

Past Presidents of NFDW

 
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1971-1977 Rilla Moran Woods – Tennessee

1977-1979 Jean Ohm – South Dakota

1979-1981 C. DeLores Tucker – Pennsylvania

1981-1983 Patty Evans – Indiana

1983-1985 Angie Elkins – North Carolina

1985-1987 Caroline Wilkins – Oregon

1987-1989 Ruth Rudy – Pennsylvania

1990-1991 Kay O’Connell – Connecticut

 

1991-1993 Dr. Gwen McFarland – Tennessee

1993-1995 Pat Frank – Oklahoma

1995-1997 Charlotte Coker – Washington

1997-1999 Annette Jones – Washington, D.C.1999-2001 Dr. Corinne Anderson – Mississippi

2001-2003 Virgie M. Rollins – Michigan

2003-2005 Dorothy Mrowka – Connecticut

2005-2007 Barbara Mansfield – Louisiana

 

2007-2009 Helen Knetzer – Kansas

2009-2011 Pat Hobbs – California

2011-2013 Janice Haynes Davis – Washington,DC

2013-2015 Carye Blaney – West Virginia

2015-2017 Joanne Sullivan – Connecticut

2017-2019 Susanna French – Kentucky

2019-2021 Mary “Cindy” Jenks - Missouri

2021-2023 Gail Buckner - Georgia

Past National Conventions

 
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1972 - Nashville, Tennessee

1973 - Washington  D.C.

1974 - Omaha, Nebraska

1975 - Pierce, South Dakota

1976 - Charleston, West Virginia

1977 - Phoenix, Arizona

1978 - Washington, D.C.

1979 - Seattle, Washington

1980 - Hartford, Connecticut

1981 - Indianapolis, Indiana

1982 - Nashville, Tennessee

1983 - Denver, Colorado

1984 - Wichita, Kansas

1985 - Washington, D.C.

1986 - Little Rock, Arkansas

1987 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1988 - Albuquerque, New Mexico

1989 - Wesley Chapel,  Florida

 

1990 - Washington, D.C.

1991 - Detroit, Michigan

1992 - Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky

1993 - Austin, Texas

1994 - St. Louis, Missouri

1995 - Portland, Oregon

1996 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

1997 - Biloxi, Mississippi

1998 - Asheville, North Carolina

1999 - Little Rock, Arkansas

2000 - Washington, D.C.

2001 - Cleveland, Ohio

2002 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

2003 - Hartford, Connecticut

2004 - Colorado Springs, Colorado

2005 - Kansas City, Kansas

2006 - Atlantic City, New Jersey

2007 - Charleston, West Virginia

 

2008 - Albuquerque, New Mexico

2009 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

2010 - Knoxville, Tennessee

2011 - Washington, D.C.

2012 - Louisville, Kentucky

2013 - Charleston, West Virginia

2014 - Kansas City, Missouri

2015 - Atlantic City, New Jersey

2016 - Charleston, South Carolina

2017 - Atlanta, Georgia

2018 - Tempe, Arizona

2019 - Albany, New York

2020 - Wichita, Kansas – Telephonic, due to Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 - Online, due to Covid-19 Pandemic

2022 - Online, due to Covid-19 Pandemic

2023 - New Orleans, Louisiana