Poughkeepsie AAUW – A Brief History

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Poughkeepsie AAUW, A 501(C)(3) Nonprofit Organization

Founded in 1925, Poughkeepsie Branch of the American Association of University Women, Inc. has been active in the areas of education, international understanding, community needs, the arts, and the status of women.

The branch continues to be involved in education both nationally and on the state and local levels. We support the AAUW Funds and the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund through annual donations. In addition, the branch supports two yearly scholarships to graduates of Dutchess Community College who are continuing education at a four year college. Poughkeepsie AAUW has a long connection with DCC. From 1955 to 1957, AAUW was part of a group of organizations that laid the foundation for starting a local community college. We continue to work with DCC, Vassar College and Marist College. In 1987 the City of Poughkeepsie celebrated its 300th anniversary and AAUW produced a film, “A City on the Hudson” to highlight those years. Many other activities have continued to link AAUW to our Hudson Valley area.

In recent years, Poughkeepsie AAUW, Inc. has been recognized numerous times at the AAUW New York State Convention as a “Platinum Award Winner” in various categories. These are the highest state awards. An ongoing tradition of the branch is the Woman of the Year Award, presented annually to a Dutchess County woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the community. Since 2006, the branch has organized a Live Your Dream Girls’ Conference for sixth and seventh grade girls. Leading to Reading and Court Watch are two of our community service projects.

Below are summaries marking the highlights of our most recent years. New members will learn of the variety of our programs and groups. Long time members will be reminded of and appreciate all we have accomplished. As we look ahead to celebrating our 100th anniversary in 2025, our Poughkeepsie AAUW branch has much to be proud of.