The original Women For was founded in Los Angeles in 1964. Modeled after this effective and influential organization, Women For: Orange County opened its doors in 1984. Known for informative meetings, citizen activism and support of progressive issues and candidates, Women For: Orange County proudly carries forward this legacy.

Spurred by the success of Women For: Los Angeles, writer Lynn Osen and congressional candidate, Vivian Hall, convened a group of Orange County activists to start the OC chapter of the organization. Hall selected ten committed members from non-profit association, the Women's Network Alert. The founders were Ruth Bellows, Grace Dunkley, Constance Haddad, Vivian Hall, Lynn Osen, Joyce Rothfeder, Joann Rowland, Mary Lou Sortais, Vivian Thorp and Paula Werner. For years these women had been working to combat the entrenched reactionary politics of Orange County and joined forces to exert greater pressure on the community for reform. They lobbied through letter writing, made personal appearances, demonstrated, and offered public support for progressive candidates and issues.

Shirley Palley remembers that the co-founder Vivian Hall moved to Orange County from Palos Verdes and had experience with the Los Angeles chapter of Women For. That chapter, although now defunct, began in 1964 at the beginning of the contemporary women's rights movement. Palley notes that in 1976 Vivian Hall was the first Orange County woman to stand for a congressional seat and was a skilled leader for the new Orange County chapter.

Early meetings, Palley recalls, consisted of a speaker followed immediately by letter writing tasks that were prompted by the suggestions of the speaker. Letters to appropriate representatives were mailed that same night. These letter-writing exercises were so popular that one member, Molly Lyon, developed a plan in 1985 for the Great American Write-In.

Since 1986, Women For: Orange County has had its Great American Write-In in the city of Irvine. Hundreds of people come out on a Saturday in Spring to network and write cards and letters to let government representatives know how they feel about a variety of issues. About 40 organizations set up tables at the event to offer information about issues in the community, the nation and around the world.

The second major event sponsored by Women For:OC is the Suffrage Day luncheon honoring outstanding Orange County women for their unique contributions and marking the anniversary of the day American women got the right to vote in 1920. The Women's Network Alert sponsored the first three Suffrage Day luncheons starting in 1981 and Women For: OC took it on as an annual event beginning in 1984. Shirley Palley recalls that early Suffrage luncheons were held at the Balboa Bay Club, the only union hall operating in Orange County at that time. When the wait staff went on strike one year, Women For honored the strike and cancelled the luncheon. Subsequently, members returned to the club, but later moved to the University Club on the UCI campus.

Ann De Vaney and Peggy Goetz contributed to this article.

Suffrage Day honorees are honorary lifetime members of Women For: Orange County

2013
Special Recognition:  Ruth Gluck, David Sonneborn
Reverend Sarah Halverson
Jan Meslin
Maria Solis-Martinez
Laurie and Gary Headrick
Lyn Harris-Hicks

2012
Claire and Melanie Schlotterbeck
Leia and Dwight Smith
Vicki Tamoush

2011
Beth Krom
Dean Inada
Suzanne Darweesh

2010
Sue Fenwick
Dr. Bill Honigman
Stephanie Pacheco

2009
Pam Allison
Elaine Booth
Debbie Cook
Chay Peterson

2008
Jim Antenore
Flossie Horgan
Lucia Munoz
Ruth Shapin

2007
Paula Garb
Susan Kopicki
Jeannette Merrilees
Charlotte Samuels
Caitlyn Whitney

2006
Stephanie Campbell
Vivan Clecak
Eleanor Finney
Sharon O’Hara

2005
Silver Anniversary Celebration
(no honorees)

2004
Anna Freeman
Karen Speros
Therese Ballet Lynn
Lisa Alvarez
Ricky Lee Robinow

2003
Shirley Palley
Shirely Grindle
Pat McCully
Vivian Hall

2002
Rose Espinoza
Jean Forbath
Kimberly Salter
Linda Schwarz
Tim Carpenter

2001
Lynn Daucher
Toni Iseman
Bonnie Castrey
Loretta Sanchez
Grace Steiner

2000
Helen Barrios
Jo Caines
Molly Lyon
Mitsuye Yamada

1999
Nadia Davis
Irmeli Desenberg
Laura Saari
Jean Watt

1998
Sally Alexander
Esther Borah
Sarah Catz
Pearl Jemison-Smith
Jean Liechty
Carolyn Wood

1997
Rosalie Abrams
Jennifer Lee Anderson
Mary Leigh Blek
Kathy Gallardo
Ellen Lee
Judith Odlum
Janet Remington
Marti Schrank

1996
Yreina Cervantez
Dede Ginter
Kathryn McCullough
Tudie Ross
Barbara Tam Schumann
Marilyn Vassos

1995
Nydia Hernandez
Lucille Kuehn
Pauline Merry
Audrey Prosser
Son Kim Vo

1994
In Memory of Amy Biehl
Hinda Beral
Lynne Davanzo
Anita Varela
Madeleine Wakamatsu

1993
Phyllis Agran
Libby Cowan
Maria Morena
Leslie Rabine
Linda Schulein
Audrey Yamagata-Noji

1992
Betty Lou Lamoreaux

1991
Evelyn Colon Becktell
Jean Bernstein
Mai Cong
Ruthelyn Plummer
Frances Williams

1990
Larry Agran
Jenny Doh
Elizabeth Smith
Charlene Turco

1989
Sylvia Lenhoff
Lola Romero Seymour
Shirley Walton

1988
Nancy Catalde
Thelma Frazier
Marina Soto McLaughlin
Lee Podolak
Maud Shambrook
Arlene Sontag
Mitzi Tonai

1987
Elisabeth Dungan
Gloria Haney
Wendy Lozano Griffin
Marion Pack
Gail Reisman

1986
Lydia Ledesma
Sara Lundquist
Elizabeth Dorn Parker
Ellen Severoni
Paula Werner

1985
Jo Caines
Molly Lyon
Lynn Osen
Frances Munoz
Mitsuye Yamada
Narda Zacchino

1984
Jean Aldrich
Helen Caldicott
Nancy Ebsen

1983
March Fong Eu
Leo McCarthy

1982
Gloria Allred
Leonore Blitz
Patricia Herzog
Karen Litfin

1981
Jewel Plummer Cobb
Sheila Prell Sonenshine