In The Beginning

Early in the spring of 1938, Mrs. James Rae Arniell, Jr. assumed the preliminary task of organizing women's Republican clubs in Colorado counties. She was assisted by Mrs. John E. Hillman, National Committeewoman for Colorado and Mrs. Marjorie Riedel, State Vice Chairman. They worked largely through the County Vice Chairmen who always selected some woman who did not hold a county office to head the groups and aid in organization. In this way, more women became interested in political work and in many cases future leaders for county and state work were provided. There was much newspaper publicity and as a result of this many women wrote in or came to Denver and volunteered to start clubs in their own cities or counties.

Mrs. Arneill made frequent trips about the state and went often to counties near Denver.

A small office was opened in the Brown Palace Hotel and Mrs. Charles Chiossi was employed as her secretary.

By May 1938 applications for membership in the National Federation of Women's Republican Clubs being formed, began going to Miss Marion E. Martin in Washington, D.C. The first three clubs to make application were: Jefferson County Club April 28, 1938, 50 members; Helen Bell Club Denver County, May 13, 1938, 35 members; Yuma County Club, May 21, 1938, 35 Members.

About the first of May, Mrs. Arneill began making plans for a mass meeting of Republican women which was to be held in the auditorium of the Continental Oil Building, Denver, on May 20. This created great interest as Mr. John D. M. Hamilton, National Republican Committee Chairman was to be the principal speaker.

Mr. Hamilton, who had come into political prominence in the 1936 campaign, arrived at the meeting and explained that Colorado Women's Republican Club would an affiliate of the National Women's Republican Clubs of America which was being formed to foster and encourage loyalty to the Republican Party by promoting education for women along political lines.

Other purposes would be to encourage closer cooperation between the Regular Organization and independent groups which were working for the same objective - sound government; to promote an interchange of ideas and experiences to the end that any policies which had proved particularly effective in one state might be adopted in another; to foster in a broad sense uniformity of purpose and ideals and a national attitude and national approach to the problems facing the Republican Party.

"We are going into this campaign to win," said Mrs. Arneill. "We've got the cause, we"ll have the leadership and what is equally important, if not more  so, an effective organization."

Aiding Mrs. Arneill at the mass meeting, were Mrs.Hillman, Mrs. Riedel and Mrs. Lucy Coykendall, Denver County Vice Chairmen.

After the mass meeting, a small meeting was held at the Brown Palace Hotel to plan further details of state and national organization.

In the meantime, a meeting was held in Denver, where the clubs federated and a temporary organization was set up with Mrs. Arneill as state president.

By the end of the summer Mrs. Arneill had organized 35 clubs in 27 counties and obtained 11 individual applications from 11 additional counties thereby reaching her objective of 38 counties and meeting the national requirement for membership - 60% of Colorado's 63 counties.

A charter for Colorado as a federation had been granted and Colorado's application for national membership had been filed in Washington.

A meeting was held in Denver at the Brown Palace Hotel by delegates of the various clubs and 2 Colorado delegates were elected to attend the first National Convention in Chicago on September 23-24, 1938. They were Mrs. Joyce Arneill, Denver and Mrs. Dorothy L. Rugg of Pueblo.

On September 24, 1938 in Chicago, Mrs. Arneill was elected first president of the "National Federation of Women's Republican Clubs of America."

                                                Joyce Arneill