The University Women's Club of Toronto is a Canadian organization that was founded in 1903 to promote women's education. Its parent organization is

Canadian Federation of University Women The Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) (Canadian French, French: ''Fédération canadienne des femmes diplômées des universités CFDU') (formerly called University Women’s Club) is a non-partisan, voluntary, self-funded organi ...

History

The University Women's Club of Toronto was founded in 1903 by 22 women from seven universities, to promote women's education. They raised funds for scholarships, and provided a networking and social opportunity for women graduates. They also organised campaigns on behalf of women, such as in 1907 when King's College Law School graduate

Mabel French Mabel Priscilla Penery French (4 June 1881 – 13 January 1955) was a Canadian lawyer and women's rights pioneer. She was the first woman to practice law in two separate Canadian provinces: New Brunswick and British Columbia. Life She was born ...

was refused entrance to the New Brunswick bar. This led to the

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick () is the deliberative assembly of the New Brunswick Legislature, in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. The assembly's seat is located in Fredericton. It was established in Saint John ''de jure'' ...

passing "An Act to Remove the Disability of Women so far as Relates to the Study and Practice of the Law".

Margaret Robertson Watt Margaret Robertson Watt (June 4, 1868 – November 29, 1948) was a Canadians, Canadian writer, editor and activist. She was a woman of great energy and drive who believed strongly in the power exerted by women working together. She is known to me ...

from the

Women's Institute The Women's Institute (WI) is a community-based organization for women in the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. The movement was founded in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, by Erland and Janet Lee with Adelaide Hoodless being the ...

in England spoke to the club in 1919 about her work. In 1921, the club's vice-president, May Skinner, delivered an address to

Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...

, at the Canadian Federation at a meeting in

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...

. In 1922, the club sent 22 delegates to an international meeting of university women's clubs in Paris. In 1929, the club began planning for a new clubhouse location; they bought a mansion later that year, at 162 St. George Street. The club hosted prominent speakers and celebrated women's academic achievement, for example when it honored paleontologist

Madeleine Fritz Madeleine Alberta Fritz (3 November 1896 – 20 August 1990) was a Canadian palaeontologist. She was a professor at the University of Toronto, where she taught vertebrate studies in the department of Geology. Fritz's writing on the fossil Bryozoa ...

in 1940, after she became a fellow of the

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hi ...

. The club sold its building on St. George Street in 2010, and began using the Faculty Club at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

as its meeting space. The club marked its 120th year in 2023.

References

External links

Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW)
Organizations established in 1903 Women's organizations based in Canada Organizations based in Toronto Educational organizations based in Ontario Women in Ontario {{Canada-org-stub