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Club History

History of the Dallas Altrusa Club

Thirteen dynamic business and professional women met with the Altrusa organizer, Mrs. Elizabeth Gardner of Austin, TX, in October 1928, to organize the Altrusa Club of Dallas. Early emphasis was on the work that each member did, and early programs involved on-the-job experiences. The first national meeting after Dallas organized was held in July 1929 in Denver. Dr. Nina Fay Calhoun was the Dallas delegate. At the end of the second year, membership was 22. The charter requirement at that time (based on the population of the city in which the Club was located) was 40 members. In 1934, under the presidency of Cecile Lowenstein, the Club reached 40 members and the charter was granted at the national convention held in Chicago. The Club was incorporated on August 24, 1967. The Communiqué, the Dallas Club newsletter, was first published in 1945. The Dallas Club boasts two international past-presidents, Dr. Nina Fay Calhoun and Mrs. Edith DeBusk, and has had numerous district and international officers and chairs. The Club is also proud that Mrs. DeBusk received the second Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award at the international convention held in July 1989 in Dublin, Ireland. For a complete history of Altrusa International of Dallas, Texas, Inc., click one of the links below: The Club has been instrumental in forming other Altrusa Clubs in the Dallas area; these “children” and their charter years are listed below; asterisks indicate clubs that have disbanded.
  • 1941 Texarkana
  • 1942 Sherman
  • 1948 Denison*
  • 1953 Greenville
  • 1953 Paris*
  • 1960 Denton
  • 1964 Irving*
  • 1965 Oak Cliff*
  • 1967 Garland*
  • 1967 Richardson
  • 1970 Mesquite*
  • 1982 Downtown Dallas
  • 1993 Southwest Dallas County
  • 1997 Northeast Dallas County*
Our “children” clubs have formed the next generation of clubs — our grandchildren.
  • 1981 Plano* (formed by the Richardson Club)
  • 1992 North Dallas (formed by the Downtown Dallas Club)
  • 1996 Collin County (formed by the Richardson Club)
  • 2002 DFW (formed by the Downtown Dallas Club)
  • 2002 Garland (offshoot of NE Dallas County)
  • 2015 Rockwall (formed by Garland)
  • 2015 Lewisville (formed by Denton)
  • 2016 Frisco (formed by Richardson)