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Article clipped from The New York Age

Development of the Colored Y.W.C.A. (part 1) The New York Age (New York City, New York) March 16, 1916, p 1
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DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLORED Y. W. C. A. Fiftieth Anniversary of Work In America Celebrated During Month of February. WORK OF MISS EVA D. BOWLES First Colored Woman in the United States to Hold Position of General Secretary of a Young Women's Christian Association--She Is Now Secretary for Colored Work in Cities. During 1 the month of February nearly half a million women and girls from city and college associations, as well as county associations- of which are located in far country places- rejoiced with one accord for lo! the year of jubilee had come- the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Young Women's Christian Associations in America. This is the most highly ramified women's organization in the world. The movement was started fifty years ago by a group of thirty women in Boston, Mass., who met to consider the needs of girls who came to that city to earn their living. Today girls of all types, all nationalities, all races, business girls, college girls, society girls, school girls, girls in Japan, girls in India, girls all over the world stand together in one bond of fellowship, for work, for play and for service. Until the last decade little and MISS EVA D. BOWLES National Y. W. C. A. Secretary. for Colored Work in practically nothing had been thought of the colored girl's contribution to this movement which could not possibly be complete without her. During this Jubilee just past honor was given the pioneers in this work who gave of themselves so unstintingly in those trying times of our Y. W. C. A. beginnings. Status of Work Twenty Years Ago. Twenty years ago there were affiliated with the American Committee of Young Women's Christian Associations seven students Associations. Associations at Clafn, Straight, Tougaloo Universities, Spelman Seminary, and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama became affiliated in the early | nineties, with what was then the National Association of the Young Wom-| en's Christian Associations 'There are evidences of city Associations for colored women at a much earlier period. We hear of efforts at Louisville, Memphis, Columbus, Ga., and other points. Dr. Caroline Anderson, the well known daughter of William Still, of underground railway fame, recounts the activities of a flourishing colored Association in Philadelphia in the early seventies. Yet no doubt most of these efforts died for want of intelligent super- I vision. When the National Board was formed in 1907, Mrs. William A. Hunton appointed to spend the winter of 1907-'8 investigating the possibilities for Association work among colored women, and interesting them in it. She found fourteen student Associations and four city Associations- -New York, Brooklyn, Baltimore and Washington. In 1908, Miss Elizabeth Ross was appointed to be the special worker for the National Board among colored students. Miss Ross was succeeded in 1910 by Miss Cecelia Holloway, and Miss Holloway in 1912 by the present student secretary, Miss Josephine V. Pinyon. Student Work. In 1910, Mrs. Elizabeth Ross Haynes and Mrs. Hunton began a systematic and intensive development of city Association work among colored women. and the attempt was made to. place trained. secretaries in local Associations. In 1913, Miss Eva D. Bowles was appointed (continued on rage seven)
Article from 16 Mar 1916The New York Age(New York, NY)
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