The Fayette County Republican Women (FCRW) organization currently has 50 members plus 22 Associate members. We celebrated our 20-year affiliation with the Texas Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women in April 2021

What does it mean to be part of a federation of republican women?

The story of Republican women’s clubs began many years before women had the right to vote. Inspired by the Republican Platform of 1872, which said: “The Republican Party is mindful of its obligation to the loyal women of America for their noble devotion to the cause of Freedom…” Republican women’s clubs were off and running with the oldest such club on record being founded in Salt Lake City in the late 1800s.

It was in 1938 that Marion Martin, assistant chairman of the Republican National Committee, called a meeting at the Palmer House in Chicago to organize these clubs into a national organization (which we now know as the National Federation of Republican Women, NFRW)

States in which Republican women’s clubs were organized on a “statewide” basis sent delegates and alternates to that meeting with a request to affiliate. To be considered “statewide” at that time, a state or local club had to have members in 60 percent of the counties of that state.

The delegates adopted rules governing the establishment of a National Federation of Republican Women’s Clubs, with the following purposes:

“to foster and encourage loyalty to the Republican Party and the ideals for which it stands
to promote education along political lines
to encourage closer cooperation between independent groups and the

regular party organization,
to promote an interchange of ideas and experiences of various clubs to the end that the policies which have proven particularly effective in one state may be adopted in another
and to encourage a national attitude and national approach to the problems facing the Republican Party.”

Eleven states became the charter states of NFRW.
At the time of NFRW’s founding, three states – Maryland, Virginia, and Alabama – had not even ratified the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting suffrage to women.

The National Federation of Republican Women seal features the American eagle, holding a quill pen and standing guard over our most treasured tool
of democracy – the ballot box. Adopted in 1944, it portrays the Federation’s interest in the protection and integrity of our electoral process. The American eagle is adopted from the Great Seal of the United States. The quill is symbolic of the power of words, especially as contained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

In its earliest days, the Federation was a lobbying group.

By September 1, 1943, 23 statewide federations held membership in the national organization, along with 98 individual clubs from 16 states. In January 1953, the organization’s name was changed to the National Federation of Republican Women.

The Texas Federation of Republican Women (TFRW) was founded in 1955. Texas in 1955 was a deep blue state. Republicans have only been the majority in the Texas Senate since 1997 and the Texas house in 2002.
So when 300 women gathered in San Antonio to vote to establish the TFRW as part of the NFRW it was huge. Not only was this not a friendly political environment but life was much different in 1955. No cell phones, no GPS, no email, long distance calls cost money, bad TV, paper road maps. These women had to operate by snail mail and long distance calls. Our founders knew that the Republican Party needed women and knew that women needed to come together so their voice would be strong, effective and make a difference.

TFRW currently has 12,000-members in 162 clubs across the state. Our clubs range in size from 10 to 400+ members and from brand new to 60+ years old. Every club has different strengths and personalities, but every club is made up of talented, dedicated, passionate women who care deeply about their communities, our state and our country. Not only are clubs making a difference politically, but they are also involved in their community and are an example of how Republican women care.

Now, almost 70 years after our founding, TFRW is stronger than ever and continues to provide the avenue for women to influence policy, develop candidates, and elect the leaders of Texas and also provides the structure and support for political activists to learn, engage, and flourish.

As a member of the current board of FCRW, I believe God created women to be helpers and endowed every woman with incredible talents, ingenuity, wisdom, and a patriotic duty. The FCRW would like to invite you to join our dedicated, freedom-loving, courageous, conservative women who are applying their talents diligently to preserve the independence of our state, counties, and communities we live in. Freedom is not free. We look forward to meeting you.