Early History

The Alexandria Branch of AAUW was chartered on May 12, 1945.  Dr. Martha Rinsland served as its first president from 1945 to 1946.  At that time, there were 37 charter members.  Dr. Rinsland was no stranger to organizing AAUW Branches – the Alexandria Branch was the 12th branch she organized.  She came to the Alexandria area when her husband was on active duty at the Pentagon during World War II. 

From its founding, the Alexandria Branch has focused on education and the status of women.  There has been an on-going emphasis in lobbying the state legislature to support legislation that would address these issues, such as the ERA, school integration, domestic violence and pay equity.

In the 1980’s the Branch was active in providing a network of translators or service providers, such as doctors and lawyers, for the immigrant community needing services in forty languages.

Beginning in the 1966’s the major annual fund raiser has been held at The Little Theater of Alexandria.  Funds obtained at this event goes to national AAUW for use in the Educational Opportunity Fund.  This Fund distributes scholarships in science, literature, language studies, and other major educational study areas.  Many notable scholars have been recipients over the years, such as Madame Curie.

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Each year AAUW branches in Virginia are entitled to honor one individual (or group) for every $500 branch members have donated to AAUW during the year. The board of each branch selects members who went above and beyond that year as “Named Honorees.”

Honorees – Branch Named Fellowship Grants

1963……………. Alexandria Branch

1964……………. Martha Rinsland

1965……………. Helen Mackintosh

1966……………. Oneta Liter

1967……………. Kathryne Baugh

1968……………. M. Ina Babcock

1969……………. Evelyn Franklin

1970……………. Alice Wakefield

1971……………. Martha Mendenhall

1972……………. Anna McDermott

1973……………. Lynn Finnegan

1974……………. Helen Tracy

1975……………. Betty Bond

1976……………. Joann Miller

1977……………. Bobbi Wright

1978……………. Argyle Crump

1979……………. Kathy Reynolds, Frances Reeves

1980……………. Harriet Trites, Vera Willis

1981……………. Helen Mackintosh, Ann Buchholz

1982……………. Marguerite Bowyer, Margaret Deacle, Betty Hull, Sylvia Strauss

1983……………. Ellen Pickering, Lelia Saunders

1984……………. Grace Adamson, Caroline Johnston, Ann Pannell Taylor

1985……………. Alicia Kraft, Lois Flannery, Dorothy Long

1986……………. Cathlene Williams

1987……………. Jan Jaynes, Murielle Duggan

1988……………. Crozet Johnson, Phoebe Nicholas, Helen Tracy

1989……………. Susan Cash, Margaret Franklin

1990……………. Dorothy Bragonier, Mary Licari, Ruth Bennett, Anna Wheeler

1991……………. Phyllis Taylor, Paula Massouh

1992……………. Adele Cleary, Juliane Downs, Sue McPherson, Deborah Wright

1993……………. Mary Jane Calais, Nancy Cash, Sylvia Linke, Roma Robson, Rance Willis, Vera Willis

1994……………. Susan Cash, Carolyn Huebner, Lallie Dawson Leighton, Martha Mendenhall, Judy Titterton, Susan Werner

1995……………. Mary Lou Conner, June Hajjar, Katherine Reynolds Kicklighter, Margaret Zebrowski

1996……………. Helen Anderson, Ruth Bennett, Susan Merritt

1997……………. Barbara Kenadjian, Joyce Lepper

1998……………. Juliane Downs, Vera Willis

1999……………. Margot Gee, June Hajjar, Sue McPherson, Margaret Zebrowski, Mimi Gutter

2000……………. Mary Ann Bier, Adele Cleary, Mary Henley, Carol Schermer

2001……………. Ruth Bennett, Barbara Kenadjian, Kathleen McIlhatten, Ann Wood

2002……………. Susan Cash, Lyn Kagey, Martha Mendenhall, Judy Titterton, Susan Werner, Vera Willis

2003……………. Linda Driscoll, Phoebe Nicholas, Robert Tracy

2004……………. Suzanne Diffley

2005……………. Dorothy Bevis, Mary Licari

2006……………. Mary Ann Bier, Kathryn Frost, Joann Miller, Patti Schmid

2007……………. Vera Willis

2009……………. Jan Jaynes, Margaret Zebrowski, Ellen Pickering, Vera Willis

2010……………. Ruth Bennett, Peggy Gross, Mary Hartzler, Rita Rutsohn, Cathlene Williams

2011……………. Karol Knight, Mary Ann Bier, Sylvia Linke and Rance Willis

2013 …………… Susan Werner, Ed Zebrowski

2014 …………… Danielle Beach, Mary Ann Bier, Ginger Chamberlain, Virginia Kress, Rita Rutsohn, Arlene Shapiro, Lane Stone, Leslie Tourigny, Susan Werner

2015 ……………  Ruth Bennett, Susan Cash, Helene Coric, Argyle Crump (In Memoriam), Mary Hartzler, Jan Jaynes, Paula Massouh, Phoebe Nicholas (In Memoriam), Geri Tucker, Margaret Zebrowski

2016 ……………  Lane Stone, Leslie Tourigny

2017 ……………  Danielle Beach, Ginger Chamberlain, Leslie Tourigny, Lane Stone, Sue McPherson (In Memoriam), Phyllis Taylor (In Memoriam)

2018 ……………   Danielle Beach, Mary Ann Bier, Ginger Chamberlain, Annabel Fischer (InMemoriam), Susan Bodilly, Nancy Kula, Anne Simpson, Mary Shine, Catherine Hughes, Michele Muldoon

2019 …………….. Eugenia Burkes, Jere  Gibber, June Hajjar, Elizabeth Hendrix, Bonnie Hershberg, Virginia Kress, Joann Miller (In Memoriam) Lynn O’Connell, Diane Schrier, Arlene Shapiro

2020 …………….. Ginger Chamberlain (In Memoriam)