THE FEDERATION JOURNAL
Listen to our Clarion Watchrvord—We are Lifting Ax We Climb’’
VOLUME 12
APRIL, 1955
NUMBER 2
Our Distinguished Guest Speaker
Mrs. Irene McCoy Gaines of Chicago
Born in Ocala, Florida, Mrs. Gaines was
brought to Chicgo when an infant. She
began her training at the old Armour
Mission Kindergarten; graduated from
elementary and high schools of Chicago
and is a graduate of Fisk University. She
has studied Social Service Administra
tion at the University of Chicago and at
Loyola. She resides at 3262 Vernon Ave
nue, Chicago, Illinois with her husband.
Attorney Harris B. Gaines, former Rep
resentative in Illinois General Assembly,
and her two sons, Harris, Jr, and Charles.
Mrs. Gaines has served as president of
the Chicago and Northern District As
sociation of Colored Women; president of
the Illinois Association of Colored Women;
is the present first recording secretary of
the National Association of Colored Wom
en; is serving her 10th term as president
of the Chicago Council of Negro Organi
zations, the coordinating agency of near
ly one hundred civic, educational, relig
ious and labor organizations; Past Matron
of Northern Light Chapter No. 28, Order
of the Eastern Star; member. Board of
Directors, Chicago Branch NAACP; Illi
nois Child Labor Committee, Citizens
School Committee, Women’s Conference
on Legislation; Vice Chairman, Women’s
Joint Committee on Adequate Housing.
In April, 1941, she led the first “March
on Washington” in behalf of fair employ
ment practices, and other civil rights for
Colored people. During subsequent years
she has participated in many efforts which
have taken her to Washington, Spring-
field and other places in behalf of justice
and democratic practices toward all peo
ple. She made a plea in behalf of minority
rights before the United Nations As
sembly at Lake Success, N. Y. She was
chairman of the Illinois Delegation to the
National Emergency Mobilization to
Washington, D. C. (Jan. 1950) for the
passage of FEPC and other civil rights
legislation.
APPOINTMENTS: She served as a
member of President Hoover’s Plan Com
mission; and was appointed by him as a
member of the President’s Housing Con
ference. She was appointed Republican
State Central Committeewoman of the
Fh'st Congressional District; appointed by
Major Kennelly a n\ember of the Citizens
Advisory Committee to the Chicago Plan
Commission; and also serves by appoint
ment of Superintendent Hunt a member
MRS. IRENE McCOY GAINES
15th President of National Association of
Colored Women’s Clubs
of the Citizens Advisory Committee on
Intercultural Activities in Chicago Public
Schools.
Mrs. Gaines worked for fifteen years as
an employee and social worker in the
Cook Coimty Bureau of Public Welfare
(Chicago). She has also served as Case
Work Consultant for the Chicago Urban
League, and Director of its Woman’s Di
vision; as director of a recreational proj
ect for teen-agers for Parkway for Park
way Community House, the YMCA and
YWCA; for several years served as In
dustrial Secretary, Chicago YWCA; dur
ing World War I was a County Organizer
for War Camp Community Service; dur
ing World War II was an active member
of AW VS, and a member of Governor
Green’s Women’s Division, Illinois War
Council.
During the 1950 Primary and general
elections she was the only Colored wo
man on the ballot running for a County
Office, that of County Commissioner from
' the City of Chicago. This was the first
! time a Colored woman had been endorsed
by either of the two major parties for a
County office. Although not elected, Mrs.
Gaines polled 743,316 votes, the highest
number of votes received by any Re
publican candidate running in the city of
Continued on Page 2
An Opportune Place
For Convention
Toward the close of the meeting in High
Point last year, when the matter of the
time and place for the 1955 convention
was being considered, Mrs. Emerlyne
Hawkins moved rapidly but gracefully to
the front of the auditorium, and after ad
dressing the Chair, proceeded to extend
to the Convention as cordial and as pleas
ing an invitation as any organization
would ever wish to receive, urging our
acceptance of Concord as the place for
our 1955 convention. The applause that
Mrs. Hawkins received was an indica
tion of the great desire of our women to
extend the borders of our club work into
an area where more clubs are needed
and where the stimulus of our Convention
would be highly beneficial. This is true of
the area including Salisbury, Greensboro,
Charlotte, and Gastonia. Our delegates
are delighted to meet with the Concord
clubs. Surely the meeting of the state
Federation, May 13, 14 and 15 will awaken
a deeper interest in club work by women
throughout this section of North Carolina.
Mrs. Hawkins and Mrs. Louise Bost,
the president of the Concord Federated
clubs renewed the invitation at the meet
ing of the Executive Board at Palmer
Memorial Institute, January 15, 1955. It
is with great pleasure that the North
Carolina Federation of Negro Women’s
Clubs greets the Concord Federated clubs
with sincere appreciation for their most
cordial invitation.
MRS. H. H. HAWKINS