by On Thursday, May 13, 2021, Gloria Polanosky and I spoke at the Women’s Department Club (WDC) in Shreveport about the anthology – “Forever and Always.” Every month (at least before the COVID pandemic) the members of the WDC would meet and listen to a book review. The WDC just started back with the in-person book reviews last month, and I was thrilled to be invited to speak about my story in the anthology, how we came up with the writing ideas regarding the 100+ year old B&B in Shreveport, and my writing process. I had not previously met any of the ladies of the WDC and did not know what to expect. What I discovered was a group of lovely ladies, and a treasure trove of history.
Formed in 1919, when there were limited educational opportunities for women, the WDC started out as a book club that met at different homes. In 1923, the WDC began building a beautiful two-story Georgian-style building at the corner of Margaret and Line Avenue for its “club house.” The building is truly amazing with a beautiful entryway, formal living and dining rooms, a kitchen, meeting rooms, and an auditorium on the second floor with a 440-person seating capacity. Well-known celebrities such as Katharine Hepburn and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost performed on the stage.
Another interesting fact is that during WWII, members raised money to purchase two airplanes for Barksdale AFB. Since the planes were not heated, many of the members cut their fur coats and made them into vests for the pilots to wear under their flight gear.
I have included some of the pictures from the WDC Facebook page. If you would like to learn more about the WDC, check out the links below for stories by Rick Rowe and the Shreveport Times on the WDC’s 100 year anniversary in 2019.
https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/life/community/2019/01/22/womans-department-club-celebrates-100-years-empowering-women/2547486002/
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