Washington Women's History Consortium
Women's Clubs and Organizations
Marie Kulzer, President, 1937-1939
Washington State Federation of Women's Clubs
Mrs. Albert Kulzer, the twenty-second President of the Federation, is the third to have been born in the state of Washington.
She received her early education in the grade and high schools of Rosalia. She graduated from Holy Names Academy, Spokane,
and from Washington State University. She graduated from WSU with Highest Honors. She wore a Phi Beta Kappa Key, a
scholastic honor, and while in college was affiliated with Mortar Board, the national honor group for extracurricular activities.
Her social group was Kappa Alpha Theta.
She was a charger member of the Chewelah Woman's Club, of Sorosis of Spokane and of the Spokane branch of A.A.U.W.
Mrs. Kulzer was active in various phases of civic and club work. She directed the Camp Fire Girls in Chewelah. She was
chairman of War Fund and War Bond Drives in her community and county during both World Wars. In 1944, she was appointed
on the National Committee Camp and Hospital Council Service. This was volunteer work and entailed much travel and physical
and mental exertion.
She was elected President of WSFWC in Wenatchee. She presided at the forty-second and forty-third conventions. The forty-second
convention was in Memorial Hall at Whitman College, Walla Walla, June 1518, 1938. The theme carried out was "Cooperation."
There were 251 voting delegates. The forty-third convention was in Whatcom Junior High School, Bellingham, June 13-15. 1939.
The theme was "To Build on the Foundations of Yesterday, with the Tools of Today, the Better World of Tomorrow." There
were 259 registered delegates.
During this period, a great calamity befell the Federation. The 62.89 acres of virgin timber, on Snoqualmie Pass which had
been acquired by the clubwomen and presented to the state for a park, had by logging operations on adjacent land, been left
unprotected. Strong winds blew down a number of the big fir trees and since the forest bordered the highway, the highway
department declared it a menace and condemned the Park.
Consultation between leaders of the Federation and the State Parks Commission resulted in a plan, to ask the legislature to
enact a law, authorizing the State Parks Commission to sell the park or exchange it for a tract in a more protected area.
Further, the act was to provide that all the money received from the park, including the sale price and salvage from the
timber still standing, was to be placed in a special fund and pledged toward the acquisition of another tract for a state park.
During Mrs. Kulzer's term, legislative action favored the authorization of the transfer. Details leading up to the
consummation of a permanent park will be told later.
A nationwide survey revealed that boys age 14 and girls age 12 could be legally married in seven states and that Washington
was one of the seven.
The Federation endorsed the resolution, sponsored by the White Cross, asking for a national survey on the Narcotic Problem.
Once more the Federation was honored by having the President of GFWC as a guest at its convention. This President, Mrs. Saidie
Orr Dunbar, Portland, Oregon, was especially welcome, since she came from a next door western state.
Death, the Grim Reaper and no respecter of persons, took several greatly respected and prominent members of the Federation
during this administration. Mrs. Solon Shedd, the tenth President of WSFWC died at her home on Stanford University Campus,
Palo Alto, California. Mary Gamble, Spokane, designer of the gavel, which her club Sorosis presented to the Federation at
its first meeting in 1896, was deeply mourned. Fitting memorial services took place for these truly lamented friends.
During the last year of her incumbency and the two years following, 1938-41, Marie Kulzer was Vice-president of the Western
Federation.
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