Hazel B. Smith Speech, 1926 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents:

This speech was given by Hazel B. Smith (1893-1973) in 1926 to welcome the Central District of the Illinois State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs to Springfield, Illinois, for their 8th annual meeting.The speech contains background information and a history of the Central District Colored Women's Club, as well as a congratulation on the club's success. The typed script includes handwritten notes by Smith modifying the speech to be repurposed for the 58th annual meeting of the Eureka Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star of the State of Illinois.

Biographical/Historical Context:

The Springfield Colored Women's Club was founded in 1899 to maintain the Lincoln Colored Home in Springfield, Illinois. Members, including Hazel Smith, often volunteered alongside aid organizations such as the Red Cross. The Central District Federation was founded in 1918 in Peoria, Illinois, for women who could not travel to attend the Illinois State convention of Colored Women's Clubs. The Order of the Eastern Star is an organization founded by female relatives of Freemasons. The Eureka Grand Chapter was organized in 1889 and dedicated their efforts toward effecting positive change in their community.

Acquisition Source: The Library purchased this collection in 2021 with support from a gift given by Mary Sue Schusky in memory of her father, Irving Dilliard, Class of 1927.