On March 12, 1949, the Prescott Branch was organized at the home of Mrs. W.J. Oliver.  Dean Mildred Sayre, Arizona State College, State President of AAUW explained the organization and purposes of AAUW and poured at the tea following the meeting.  Accompanying Mrs. Sayre were Miss Winona Montgomery, State Membership Chair; Miss Jean Clark, President of the Phoenix Branch; Mrs. Robert Hopper, Chair of the Recent Graduates Group; Mrs. Charles Everett; and Mrs. Jack Fishleder of Wickenberg.

Official recognition was reached in July 1949 when Prescott was accepted by AAUW.  We were wished “Good Luck” and told AAUW was looking forward to hearing frequent good things of the Prescott Branch.  In the AAUW Bulletin, September 19, 1949, Volume 1, Number 1, a welcome was extended to Prescott as the 10th branch in Arizona.  There were 26 members.

The first year went well with meetings held in the homes of members, good speakers such as Dr. Florence Yount, attendance at the State Convention, a picnic at Thumb Butte for members and families, a tea, and a Great Books Study Group.

In the fall of 1950, Prescott bravely hosted the State Workshop.  The Directors’ dinner was at the Auto Rest Motel with a canasta party at the Monday Club for delegates who arrived early.  The President’s Breakfast was at the Hassayampa Hotel.  Other meetings were held at Sharlot Hall Museum and the Methodist Church.  Again in 1990 and 2003 Prescott Branch hosted the State Convention.  Four members have presided over AAUW-Arizona as State Presidents: Edith Scholey (1956-58), Jean Hunnicutt (1976-1978), Mary Shenefield (1995-1997),  Sara Wolters (2010-2012), and Deb Dillon (2017-2018).

Our members have been active in community, state, national, and world activities.  The branch has been continually recognized for membership, leadership, visibility, public policy, community action, social justice, and fundraising for the national AAUW Funds and our local scholarship funds.  In 1980, the branch helped establish Faith House, which then became Stepping Stones, an agency in West Yavapai County providing emergency shelter and support services to women and children who are victims of domestic violence.  The branch also advocated for and assisted in the development of the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center (FEC) at Yavapai College, which opened in 2007 to provide childcare for children of faculty and students at the college.  The Branch continues to support female students in need of childcare assistance at the FEC by awarding scholarships through the branch’s endowment, the Mary Alice Moulton Childcare Assistance Fund. We are continuing to raise funds for the AAUW Centennial Scholarship and have begun awarding scholarships.

Prescott Branch Recent Past Presidents