Women's Educational and Industrial Union

The Women's Educational and Industrial Union (1877-2006) in Boston, Massachusetts, was founded by physician Harriet Clisby for the advancement of women and to help women and children in the industrial city. By 1893, chapters of the WEIU were established in Buffalo and Rochester, New York.

In the last part of the 19th century, a dramatic surge in immigration and rapid industrial growth took place in Boston. The exploitation of women and children, crowded housing and poor sanitation, and miserable labor conditions led Dr. Harriet Clisby, one of America's first women physicians, to establish the Women's Educational and Industrial Union in 1877 to respond to these social problems.

Clisby had been holding "Sunday Meetings for Women" in her home since 1872, and it was from these meetings that the WEIU evolved. Men were invited to speak at these meetings but, in 1874, members decided to restrict the meetings to women. "They felt that woman, by her organization, comes into near relation to the Infinite, and is receptive, through her spirituality, of divine truth; that she was well calculated to be the teacher to lead her sisters into that spiritual unfolding that comes to all from true seeking."

In 1903, men were allowed to be associate members of the Union. By the beginning of the 20th century, the The Women's Union had established itself as one of Boston's primary service providers and advocacy organizations. Many of the city's most prominent women, including Abby Morton Diaz, Louisa May Alcott, and Julia Ward Howe, were involved with the Union's early history.

In 1926, Amelia Earhart came to The Women’s Union for employment assistance and was placed as a social worker in a Boston immigrant settlement house. At the same time, she continued to pursue her interest in flying. In 1928, this former Union client became the first woman to cross the Atlantic in an airplane.

The Amelia Earhart Award was established in 1982 to recognize a woman who continues the pioneering spirit of Amelia Earhart. Each year, the award honors a woman who has significantly contributed to the expansion of opportunities for women.

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