USF Women’s Club Oral History Project

On August 8, 1960, days before the University of South Florida officially opened, USF's first First Lady Grace Allen opened her home to host the first meeting of the USF Women's Club. The club has served an important social role, especially at a time when many wives of faculty did not work outside the home. Women's roles have changed significantly since 1960, but the dedication of the club has remained unchanged. Although playing bridge was a perennial passion, the Women's Club has engaged heavily in many of the activities that make USF great: Service, philanthropy, and hospitality. As the very first club on campus, the Women's Club and its first president Grace Allen set a tone early that such social groups have the potential to change the community for the better. For over fifty years now, the Women's Club has done exactly that, providing scholarships to deserving students and fundraising for the university.