Founder, Mary Harriman
Founder, Mary Harriman
1901
Mary Harriman, a 19 year-old woman from a socially prominent family, founds
the first Junior League in New York City to involve those more fortunate in
helping people in need.
Through the new organization, called the Junior League for the Promotion of the Settlement Movement, volunteers work in settlement houses on New York's Lower East Side to improve child health, nutrition and literacy.
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1903
Eleanor Roosevelt, at age 19, joins the Junior League of the City of New York
and teaches calisthenics and dancing to young girls at the College Settlement
House.
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1912
The Junior League of Montreal becomes the first Junior League outside of the
United States.
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1914
The founders of the Junior League of St. Louis march for women's suffrage.
The Junior Leagues are active in World War I efforts, selling bonds and working in Army hospitals. A Junior League unit of the YWCA serves in France.
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First AJLI President, Dorothy Whitney Straight
1921
Thirty Junior Leagues form what will become the Association of Junior Leagues
International to collectively advance their work.
Dorothy Whitney Straight is named first President of the newly formed group.
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1930s
In response to widespread economic depression, special volunteer bureaus are
created to reach those most in need. These bureaus establish nutrition centers
and milk stations to aid the hungry.
Junior Leagues' State Public Affairs Committees (SPACs) are started to influence public welfare policy.
The Junior League of Mexico City joins the Association in 1930. By this time, over 100 Leagues have been established.
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Women's Army Corps Leader, Oveta Culp Hobby
1940s
Oveta Culp Hobby, a member of the Junior League of Houston, leads the Women's
Army Corps.
Many Junior League members serve their countries in World War II.
The Junior League of Montreal is active in the Canadian Women's Auxiliary Air
Force.
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1950s
Junior League members are active in post-war development. Many Leagues work
to improve public schools, launch children's television programming and start
children's museums.
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1960s
The Association, now with over 200 Junior Leagues, addresses urban issues by
developing programs in education, housing, and social services. AJLI begins
to focus on increasing membership diversity and leadership skills.
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1970s
The Leagues continue efforts to diversify their membership. Leagues collaborate
on the issue of juvenile delinquency with the National Commission on Crime and
Delinquency and the U.S. Justice Department.
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1980s
Sandra Day O'Connor, a member of the Junior League of Phoenix, becomes the first
woman Supreme Court Justice of the United States.
Among the Leagues, there is a growing emphasis on women's leadership, empowerment and achievement.
The Junior League of London expands the Association across the Atlantic in 1985.
In 1989, the Association receives the U.S. President's Volunteer Action Award.
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1990s
Don't Wait to Vaccinate, an Association-wide immunization campaign, was launched
in 230 Junior League communities in four countries.
The Junior Leagues adopt a Plan of Action for a Public Awareness Campaign on an External Policy on Domestic Violence and its Effect on Women and Children.
The 295 Junior Leagues with a membership of over 193,000 women renew their dedication to improving their communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
The Association of Junior Leagues International prepares for its centennial celebration of 100 years of volunteer community service and leadership.
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Clotilde Pérez-Bode Dedecker becomes the first Spanish-speaking woman
to become the President of the Association.
Clotilde Pérez-Bode Dedecker is an Active member of the Junior League
of Buffalo. She has served the League in many capacities including President.
Currently, Clotilde represents the Association as the Co-Chair of the International
Year of the Volunteer, US Committee. Her prior service includes a term as Area
I Director on the AJLI Board. In her community she is active in the areas of
education, Hispanic issues, the arts, human relations and health and human service
organizations. She has founded the Western New York Women's Volunteer Roundtable,
Latinas United for Progressive Action and the WNY Women's Fund.
Clotilde holds a BA in Biology from Canisius College and is currently a candidate for a master's degree in Bilingual Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She has worked as a teacher for the past sixteen years and is a freelance translator for legal, banking and immigrant purposes. In recognition of her community service Clotilde has received the 40 under 40 Award, 1997 NY Governor's Award for Excellence in Community Service and she is on the Buffalo News' Leadership Roll Call for 2010.
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Deborah Brittain,
Past President of AJLI
Deborah C. Brittain brought her passions for learning, leadership and service
together to her role as the president of the Association of Junior Leagues International.
As the Association enters its second century of service and leadership development
for women, Deborah's energy, enthusiasm and expertise typifies that of the Junior
Leagues nearly 200,000 members in four countries.
The past president herself is a living example of the Junior League's combination of tradition and change. Like many AJLI presidents before her, Deborah Brittain is a committed and experienced community leader. Involved deeply and broadly as a volunteer in public education, child welfare and social justice issues for more than 30 years, Deborah's resume of career and volunteer leadership is extraordinary. Yet as the Association's first African-American president she is also the face of change, exemplifying a Junior League commitment to the cultural diversity of its members that began in the late 1970s.
Prior to assuming the top role in the Association of Junior Leagues International, Deborah served in a number of national and regional volunteer leadership organizations, including The National Council of Negro Women, LINKS, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the NAACP's Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Urban League and Jack and Jill of America. She also served as a member of the planning commissions for the public school systems of Alexandria, Virginia and Princeton, New Jersey.
Deborah also served two consecutive terms as president of the Junior League
of Northern Virginia. As president of that group, she revolutionized the organization's
community programming and opened the door for broad-based, multicultural, community
partnerships. Deborah is currently a sustaining member of the Junior League
of Greater Princeton. She also serves as a Trustee of the Princeton Symphony
Orchestra, a Board member of the Associates of the Harvard Business School and
the National Assembly, and serves on the Advisory Board
of Make a Difference Day.
She is the recipient of dozens of community leadership awards, including AJLI Volunteer of Distinction, the Northern Virginia Urban League Community Service Award and, most recently, Women of the Year, so named by the Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey organization.
A native of Arlington, Virginia, Deborah holds a master's degree from the Simmons School of Social Work and a bachelor's degree from Howard University. She is married to Willard Brittain, Jr., Global Managing Partner of PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP. The couple has a teenage daughter, Lindsey, and are active members of the First Baptist Church of Princeton, where they have lived for the past five years.
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Christine
Benero is President of the Association of Junior Leagues International
Inc. Prior to becoming President, she completed a two-year term as AJLI
Secretary. As a member of the Executive Committee, she served as the Board
facilitator for the Healthy Leagues Initiative and the Board Structure work
team. Christine is a sustaining member and the past President of the Junior
League of Washington. Until recently, she was Sustaining Advisor to the
League’s signature project Reading Central. Her professional and community
work is focused on issues affecting women and children and creating diverse
alliances for sustainable community support. In her non-League life, she is the
CEO of the Mile High Chapter in Denver, Colorado of the American Red Cross.
Previously she was Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the Corporation
for National and Community Service in Washington, D.C.
As a volunteer, Christine has served as the Chair of the Coalition for America's Children and of the Kiwanis International Young Children Advisory Board. She currently serves on the Program Committee for the Washington Women's Foundation. She was a delegate both the President's Summit for America's Future on 1997 and the NGO Forum at the UN conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.
Pam J. Newby is President of the Association of Junior Leagues International
Inc. and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Oklahoma City, OK, which
she joined in 1989. She has served in numerous positions in the JLOC, including
President. Through her work as Executive Director of Special Care, Inc., she
supervises 35 employees serving 135 children with special needs and their
families. From helping to develop and implement a school transition program for
children recently diagnosed with cancer, to founding a private nonprofit
organization (Special Care, Inc.), Pam has been committed to providing resources
for children with special needs and their families. Pam sits on various
community boards. She brings with her the perspective of serving as the
Executive Director of a private nonprofit organization in addition to the future
focused perspective of a dedicated community leader.