The seeds of the Tuesday Club were planted above dirt streets of this often Wild-West town in 1898, when this group of cultured ladies established not only a club, but Bartlesville’s first Reading Room. Calling themselves the Forthnightly club, to mark their schedule of meetings, these women would soon change the literate—and sometimes not-so-literate—landscape, helping guide a frontier town into
becoming a gracious small city. After incorporating as the Tuesday Club, the group put its interests in education, literacy, and community improvement into action. In 1908, the group took a proposal to the Bartlesville City Commission. They recommended that a civic group be created to seek funding from the Carnegie Foundation. Through what the State of Oklahoma calls “unflagging zeal,” the Tuesday Club proposal became staunchly-supported city-wide civic project and was completed in five years.. The first Bartlesville Public Library opened on March 15, 1913 in its own building at the corner of Osage and 7th Street. Today, that sturdy structure serves as the offices for a prominent law firm. The library, now one of the jewels of Bartlesville’s architectural landscape, continues to grow in its 1992-built facility at 600 S. Tuesday Club members were also pioneers in parks and environmental actions.. Today’s beloved Johnstone Park, where generations of Bartians have taken their children for summer fun, began as a project sponsored by Tuesday Club. Throughout its history, Tuesday Club members have served, often without publicity or public acclaim, in just about every civic betterment group and project in Bartlesville. Trail-blazers in so many ways, Tuesday Club’s membership rolls reflect the multi-cultural background of Bartlesville. Here, Native Americans and daughters of European pioneers met in early friendships that many believe set the tone for a gracious acceptance of diverse personalities and backgrounds throughout tthe area. Peer into the pages of Tuesday Club membership and leadership rolls, and you will see, in a personal way, the living history of Bartlesville. Founded with a commitment to devoted friendship and community betterment, Tuesday Club continues its proud traditions in the 2lst century. From pioneer days through the chaotic, energetic days of the establishment of America’s oil industry, through World War I, a deadly 1926 flood that led to rampant disease—which found Tuesday Club members at the forefront in seeking both treatment and healthier conditions—the Great Depression, World War II, the vibrant 1950’s, the often-tumultuous 1960’s and 1970’s, the Vietnam War, Middle East Wars, upturns and downturns in business, the nation’s tragedy on 9/11/2001, and the bold challenges of what is their second new century, Tuesday Club members remain strong in their devotion to their ideals and values. Meeting monthly at the Bartlesville Woman’s Club Building—of which they are a co-owner and founder of the governing corporation—Tuesday Club combines lively programs with gracious teas, holiday celebrations, and once-a-year outings as the public face of their club. Behind the scenes, members continue to work as volunteers and community leaders in organizations throughout Bartlesville. You will find Tuesday Club members active in many settings, including:
Mary Martha Outreach,Jane Phillips Hospital, The Red Cross,The Salvation Army, Woolaroc Price Tower,Bartlesville History Museum, Daughters of the American Revolution,Garden Clubs, Bartlesville Women’s Network, League of Women Voters,political parties & campaigns,hurch groups & leadership. Oklahoma Indian Summer and so much more! The keystone of this organization is simple: true friendship, built on years of sharing and caring. The Tuesday Club fosters not only what in modern times is called “networking,” but first and foremost, friendship. Those hands of friendship continue to reach outward to serve the Bartlesville Community
