History of the Galveston Republican Women

The first official meeting of the Galveston Republican Women was held on May 18th, 1955, at the home of Mrs. Howard Swann, the founding president. Twenty-eight women joined the club at that meeting. Dues were set at $1.00 per member. The meetings were held once or twice a year. GRW was active at the national level before the state federation was established later in 1955. In 1955, the national dues were $0.02 per member. On May 20, 2005, GRW celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Yacht Club on Galveston Island. Since Hurricane Ike in 2008 washed away the Yacht Club, the anniversary lunch is held at the Artillery Club, one of Galveston’s oldest clubs established in 1840 and moved into its present location in 1959. Our anniversary luncheon is held in May each year to commemorate this event with an outstanding speaker, our “Woman of Distinction” is recognized and the annually revised Directory of Members is presented to members.