DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Houston Heights Woman's Club, and friend, this one deserves a slow sip of coffee before we roll on. Now, 1900 is when it all began. The Houston Heights Woman's Club set down roots in a time when the world had some very firm opinions about what women ought to be doing — and those opinions did not include owning property, casting a vote, holding office, or sitting on a jury.
The women of this club looked at all of that and decided, politely but unmistakably, that they had other plans. By 1905, they had already established a library at Houston Heights High School. Think about that.
Five years old as a club and they're building the foundation of somebody's education. They didn't stop there — they showed up as valued volunteers at the Heights Public Library too, because apparently one library's worth of dedication wasn't quite enough for these women. Then came the club building. 1912.
They constructed their own clubhouse, and here is the part that ought to make you sit up a little straighter: that building is still in use. Still standing. Still doing its work.
Some things are built right. World War I arrived, and the club didn't flinch. Members volunteered to make surgical bandages for the Red Cross.
Hands that had been pushing for women's rights were now wrapped around gauze and linen, doing what needed doing. When World War II erupted, they answered again — their time, and this time their clubhouse itself, offered up to the Red Cross. The U.S.
Secretary of the Treasury took notice. The club received a special citation for that service. A citation from the federal government.
For women who, not so many decades before, couldn't even serve on a jury in their own community. And through all of it — through the wars, through the marching, through the changing of laws and times — they kept their eyes on the neighbors who needed them most. They gave time and money to the United Fund, to CARE International, to the veterans hospital.
They brought toys to sick children at Ben Taub and Jeff Davis hospitals, because someone decided that a child in a hospital bed ought to have something to smile about. Today the work continues. Members mentor students, assist the elderly, and provide quilts to children in protective custody.
Quilts. Think about what it means to receive a quilt when the world has gone sideways on you. More than a hundred years from that founding in 1900, the Houston Heights Woman's Club is still at it — still stimulating intellectual pursuits, still placing the needs of others foremost.
They built a library. They built a clubhouse. And it turns out, quietly and steadily, they built something much harder to measure and much longer lasting than either one.
What the marker says
The Houston Heights Woman’s Club has remained a pillar in the community since its founding in 1900 and even constructed its own club building in 1912, still in use. The club gave women the opportunity to make an impact in their community and move away from traditional women’s roles. Members were active with such issues as the lack of women’s property rights, and opposition to their voting, holding office, or serving on juries. They also focused on education by establishing a library at Houston Heights High School in 1905, and being valued volunteers at the Heights Public Library. During World War I, the club volunteered to make surgical bandages for the Red Cross. When World War II erupted, the ladies again volunteered their time and clubhouse to the Red Cross, earning a special citation from the U. S. Secretary of the treasury for their service. The Houston Heights Woman’s Club has also been dedicated to helping those less fortunate within the community. Members donated time and money to various organizations such as the united fund, care international, and the veterans hospital. They also brought toys to sick children at Ben Taub and Jeff Davis hospitals. Today the club continues to volunteer in an effort to improve the Heights neighborhood. Members spend many hours mentoring students, assisting the elderly and providing quilts to children in protective custody. The Houston Heights woman’s club has grown to be an invaluable force in stimulating the intellectual pursuits of women and always striving to place the needs of others as their foremost concern.