Half as old as the United States of America is a remarkable run.
While the U.S. turns 250 this year, the La Mesa Woman’s Club, the oldest service organization in the city of La Mesa, will be celebrating its 125th birthday next year — and the group is getting the party started early.
To mark its May 2027 Quasquicentennial anniversary, the club is kicking off a series of events with a community mixer on May 19 at El Torito Mexican restaurant.
The mixer is intended to be a reintroduction of the La Mesa Woman’s Club to the community as a whole and a reminder of the community organizations we support, according to Pauline Basaran, La Mesa Woman’s Club vice president of activities.
“At the heart of this celebration is a simple but powerful truth: community service still matters,” Basaran said. “When people come together with care and purpose, they can make a lasting difference. As we mark this 125th Anniversary, we are not only celebrating a remarkable history, but also honoring the generations of women whose dedication helped strengthen our community and inspire others to carry that spirit forward.”
At a time when many traditional social clubs are shrinking, the La Mesa Woman’s Club has managed to thrive and remain relevant since its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century.
Basaran said that the club has remained important because it’s changed over time to meet the community’s needs while keeping its main values of service, friendship and giving back.
“It started in 1902 as a group of women who wanted to help their community and has grown into a modern nonprofit that supports scholarships, volunteering, literacy, health and community partnerships across San Diego County,” Basaran said. “Today, members want meaningful ways to make a difference through donations, fundraisers, and service projects. The Club continues to offer those opportunities in flexible and effective ways.”
Basaran said that women today are looking for purpose, flexibility and meaningful ways to make a difference.
“This club is meeting that moment with heart and intention,” she said.
La Mesa Woman’s Clubs Beginnings
On May 17, 1902, Mary Ferguson’s La Mesa living room was the birthplace of the La Mesa Woman’s Club. Ferguson and 10 other women gathered at her home to share a vision that included fostering connections, championing education and building a better La Mesa.
What began as an intimate gathering has grown into a vibrant, service-driven organization.
According to research gathered by the Online Archive of California, the La Mesa Woman’s Club initially formed to promote “sociability, mutual sympathy, and a unified effort towards the uplifting of themselves and those around them.”
The Online Archive of California notes that the La Mesa Woman’s Club was a part of an overarching women’s club movement happening in America in the late 19th century — a social movement that gave women a platform to change public policy and contribute to society outside of the home.
During World War II, club members raised money to purchase an ambulance, rolled fabric bandages, and baked thousands of cookies for local United Service Organization’s servicemen and women. On a national scale, the club joined the California Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1903, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1906, and officially became a nonprofit in 1912.
The club was also instrumental in establishing La Mesa’s first public library in 1913. Carrying a strong tradition of literacy support, a special presentation will be made to the Friends of the La Mesa Library at the May 19 kickoff event.
Club member Ellen Meador said that in the early 1900s, literacy represented opportunity, empowerment and community progress.
From its start, Meador said the founding members of the club “understood that access to books and education could transform lives and strengthen a growing town like La Mesa.”
Meador said that helping establish the city’s first library reflected their belief that knowledge should be accessible to everyone, regardless of background, and that books should not just be on shelves in a clubhouse.
“That commitment still resonates today as the La Mesa Library is one of the most active libraries with regard to readership in San Diego County,” Meador said. “The library is still an important place for activities, community groups and computer access while having a smaller footprint than currently specified by the San Diego County system. The high demand for use reinforces our commitment to provide ongoing support.”
Support and impact moving forward
The club has donated more than $500,000 to local causes, including Rady Children’s Hospital and local schools. The La Mesa Woman’s Club has also awarded more than $167,000 in scholarships to Grossmont Union High School District seniors since 1975. Its members have donated an estimated 135,000 volunteer hours.
“Our scholarship program allows us to affect the lives of local seniors and get an insight into what many of them must do to continue their education,” Meador said.
She said one of the club’s recent scholarship winners wasn’t a native English speaker and used subtitles on TV to learn English and be successful in school.
“She will be the first person in her family to go to college,” Meador said. “She took part-time jobs during high school while continuing to volunteer as a tutor, be involved with student activities and maintain a 4.2 GPA. We can only hope she found time to sleep.”
The club continues to keep its membership connected through its long-running “Gavel Talk” newsletter, featuring updates from the president, event calendars, and celebration spotlights.
While rooted in tradition, the club has navigated through two World Wars, the Great Depression and the digital revolution. Leaders say the group is currently entering what they call “a new chapter” — one without a physical place to meet.
Starting around 1913, the Club met at the corner of Third Street and Lemon Avenue. Outgrowing that site, they built a larger spot in 1959 at 5220 Wilson St., at the corner of Grossmont Boulevard.
In 2023, the Club sold that 37,000-square-foot property for a reported $1.8 million. It is now the site of a coming 49-unit mixed-use residential project.
Following the 2023 sale, the organization transitioned to meeting at the Foothills United Methodist Church on Avocado Boulevard. Instead of managing property, the club is now focusing its resources entirely on philanthropy and long-term investments.
“Transitioning away from maintaining a physical building has allowed the Club to evaluate the organization and to make sure it can meet the challenges of the 21st century,” Basaran said. “We are focusing on our use of social media, website upgrades and other systems to maintain a strong connection to our members and the community. While we manage our philanthropy of donations, we continue to focus on volunteering and giving back in a variety of ways.”
As the club launches its countdown to 2027, some of its goals for the next 25 years include expanding scholarship opportunities, strengthening partnerships with local nonprofits and schools, increasing volunteer engagement, and attracting younger generations of women leaders who are passionate about service.
Basaran said the organization also looks to continue growing a newly established La Mesa Woman’s Club Foundation to increase long-term philanthropic impact within the community.
