Research Club of Florence celebrates 100th birthday

By: From local reports | SCNow
Published: October 22, 2009

The Research Club of Florence is celebrating its 100th birthday Friday.

Today’s researchers are celebrating this momentous birthday throughout October with founders’ descendants and with many who wish them well.

The Research Club today is made up of 23 active members. It is led by Mary Jackson, president.

Although there were already a few clubs for women in the Pee Dee — even in youthful Florence, such as the Civic League — legend has it that the Research Club is the second oldest literary club for women in South Carolina. The first was in Greenville.

From the study of good writing, the Research Club soon branched out to filling community needs. First on the list was a public library. The club was raising money to found one when, at last, their energy inspired city officials to establish the Florence County Library in 1925.

The ladies’ next project was to support Miss Evans in founding the museum, now located on Spruce Street. The library and the museum continue to draw support from the Research Club and its individual members.

Club founders met in each other’s homes for study and socializing maybe as early as 1899, as the Intellectual Improvement Club. They renamed themselves and “organized” in 1909.

In 1910, they chose their flower and colors. They also became the first Florence club to join the South Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs. The Federation had its 1912 convention in Florence, hosted by 17 Researchers.

Annual printed programs (including summers) show that “home-front” support during “the Great War” embraced Travelers Aid, Red Cross, Furlough Home, French Baby, Bible Fund, Liberty Fund, Victory Bonds and magazines for disabled soldiers.

The club went on to contribute to the Penny Art Fund, scholarship funds, and “nutrition camp at Camp Nixon.” They provided 100 azalea bushes for city parks, grilles for the Florence Museum and public playground equipment and supervision of children at play there.

Later funds went to Will Lou Gray’s Opportunity School, which was started by the Federation and later taken over by the state; the Will Rogers Memorial; the Crippled Children’s Home (and members “helped follow up crippled children of the county”); the TB (Tuberculous) Sanatorium; the “children’s book shelf at the library;” and Mrs. Leroy Springs’ charities.

Meanwhile, the ladies continued the genuine interest in literature that brought them together. They started meetings by answering roll call with favorite quotations and sharing the results of their reading and studies.

The Research Club became the “mother club” of other local groups for women, including Sorosis, Henry Timrod Literary and Cosmos.

In 1959, the Research Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with “a seated tea” for 125 at Florence Museum.

Social usage in 1909 listed only the married names of the charter members: Mrs. Hartwell M. Ayer, Mrs. John L. Barringer, Mrs. W.R. Barringer, Mrs. George Briggs, Mrs. Gedney M. Brown, Mrs. Richard T. Gillespie, Mrs. Annie Lee Horton (the first president, who later married Hugh Hines), Mrs. Lola Johnson, Mrs. J.W. McCown, Mrs. Julian Rogers, Mrs. M.G. Scott, Mrs. S.W.G. Shipp, Mrs. Walter H. Wells and Mrs. J.W. Williamson.