Altrusa International records

Altrusa International was founded in 1917 in Nashville, TN as a non-profit organization for business and professional women that focused primarily on community service. The club aims to improve economic well-being and the quality of life through community service and literacy. The first local clubs were organized cooperatively by Dr. Alfred Durham, a Kiwanis member who organized clubs in Nashville, TN, Louisville, KY, Dayton, OH, and Indianapolis, IN, and Mamie L. Bass, who had served as the Superintendent of the Women's Division of the United States Employment Services. In 1918, the Altrusa Institute held its first convention in Indianapolis. The Altrusa Institute was later renamed the National Association of Altrusa Clubs and adopted the organization's first bylaws. By 1922, Altrusa had twenty national divisions, and the first international division was founded in Mexico in 1935. In 1966, ASTRA service clubs were established to encourage young people ages 13 to 21 to participate in community service. In 1989, Altrusa International adopted a resolution to promote environmental concerns through service projects. As of 2008, Altrusa International consists of 383 local clubs in 13 countries with nearly 10,000 members worldwide.

Source: Altrusa International, "The History of Altrusa." http://www.altrusa.com/Who-We-Are/History.aspx (last accessed November 8, 2016).