Thirteen dynamic business and professional women met with the Altrusa organizer, Mrs. Elizabeth Gardner of Austin, Texas, in October 1928, to organize the Altrusa Club of Dallas. Early emphasis was on the work that each member did and early programs involved on-the-job experiences.

The first national meeting after Dallas organized was held in Denver, Colorado, in July of 1929. Dr. Nina Fay Calhoun was the Dallas delegate.

At the end of the second year, membership was 22 and the charter requirement at that time (based on the population of the city in which the Club was located) was 40 members. In 1934, under the presidency of Cecile Lowenstein, the Club reached 40 members and the charter was granted at the national convention held in Chicago.

The Dallas Club boasts two international past-presidents, Dr. Nina Fay Calhoun and Mrs. Edith DeBusk, and has had numerous district, national and international officers and chairmen. The Club is also proud that Mrs. DeBusk received the second Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award at the international convention held in Dublin, Ireland in July 1989. The Club was incorporated on August 24, 1967. The Communiqué, Club newsletter, was first published in 1945 and continues to serve the Club well since that time.

We chartered an ASTRA Club at T.C. Marsh Middle School, 3838 Crown Shore Drive, in January, 2000. The land on which the school is located was donated to the Dallas Independent School District by the family of one of our charter members, Leita Marsh. We serve as mentors to the ASTRA Club, and our goal is to have an Altrusan in attendance at each ASTRA Club meeting. Our Foundation provides matching funds (up to a budgeted limit) for ASTRA service projects; pre-approval of the service projects by the Altrusa Club of Dallas Foundation, Inc. is required.

Detailed History