Dolores Y. Owens
National President

It is with a strong sense of humility and great respect for Mary Church Terrell, Nancy Brown, Sara Brown and Mary Cromwell, founding members of the National Association of University Women, that I greet you as its 23rd national president.

The National Association of University Women has a long and rich history of service to the disadvantaged in communities throughout the United States. This service began when four college women formed the College Alumnae Club in the District of Columbia in 1910.  

We are jubilant about our longevity of service having experienced our 100th anniversary celebration in Washington, DC last year. We know, however, that we must be prepared to do even more as we begin our next century of service as "Progressive Women: Redefining Community Service in the Twenty-First Century."

Proudly, we are celebrating a treasured past. At the same time we are poised to embrace a future bright with promise—a future that demands us to expand our horizons to include global initiatives and extend our work into unchartered waters.  We will develop partnerships with other organizations, nationally and internationally to extend our reach beyond our respective communities. We will keep ever in the forefront our first and greatest aim—to serve others.

The need to help the helpless is just as implicit today as it was 100 years ago, if not more so.  Therefore, as we go forward, we will remain diligent in our efforts to combat illiteracy, raise educational standards in poor performing schools, focus on better healthcare in our communities and provide scholarship assistance to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.

College/university women graduates who wish to “give back” to their communities are invited to apply for membership with us.  “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Members and non-members are urged to visit our website often for new and important updates.