AboutWCB

The purpose of the WCB is to provide opportunities that enrich the lives of women of all ages and their families through its diverse services. Your comments and suggestions are warmly welcomed.

History:
On January 8, 1910, fifteen women met to form the City Federation of Women's Organizations(CFWO). They represented the Women's Club, the Political Study Club (to become the League of Women Voters in 1918), and the W.C.T.U. Members soon included the Child Study Club, the Cornell Women's Club, and several other local women's groups. The need for a building had been evident from the federation's inception. In 1920, the year the Nineteenth Amendment became law giving women the right to vote, the federation purchased the Winton-Brooks mansion on the corner of Seneca and Cayuga Streets in downtown Ithaca. This mansion served as the federation's center until 1959, when, because of the demand for additional space, the women of the federation raised the funds to build the present Women's Community Building on the same site. In addition to its many functions, the Women's Community Building has served as the early home to emerging women's organizations including Displaced Homemakers and Ithaca Rape Crisis. The WCB also has provided space to organizations in need, such as Greenstar Cooperative Market, after its tragic fire in 1991.

Board of Directors 2008:

President: Jeanette Knapp
Vice President: Alene Wyatt
Treasurer: Susan Schattschneider
Recording Secretary: Janis Graham
Correspondence Secretary: Mary Lee Noden

Board Members