On February 3, 1947, five women met to plan for an AAUW branch to be located in Elkins. They were Mrs. R. H. Talbott, Sr., chairman, and Miss Lydia Driggs, Miss Carrie Brittain, Mrs. Flora Gawthrop, and Mrs. R. J. Condry. On February 15, thirty-two women with bachelor’s degrees from twenty institutions met to organize the branch and elect the following officers: president, Miss Emily Wilmoth; vice president, Mrs. Lydia Driggs, secretary, Mrs. John Cain, and treasurer, Mrs. John Himeleck.
From the start, they worked assiduously to raise money for local and national AAUW causes, including establishing a $500 scholarship loan fund for a Davis & Elkins College senior as well as contributing to AAUW national fellowships. To raise money, they sold United Nations cookbooks and AAUW trivets and sponsored fund raising card parties and rummage sales in those early years.
Branch members also worked hard to make women graduates of Davis & Elkins College eligible for AAUW membership. One requirement was that at least two women be on the Board of Trustees of the College, and this was accomplished while Dr. David K. Allen was president of the College and when his wife, Esther S. Allen, was president of Elkins Branch from 1959 to 1961.
On the Centennial Celebration of Elkins, we published an award-winning cookbook, with recipes collected locally. The profit supported contributions to the Educational Foundation to the Emily Wilmoth Opel Scholarships for local scholarships.
The Elkins Branch of AAUW celebrates the 60th anniversary of its founding on February 15, 2007. The branch has continued to promote equity for all women and girls, lifelong learning, and positive societal change. It values and seeks a diverse membership. It supports the AAUW Educational Foundation, which funds research and grants, and the Legal Advocacy Fund, which supports plaintiffs challenging sex discrimination in colleges and universities.