Achievements

Throughout its history, the WCTU has made significant contributions to the quality of life in this nation, such as:

• Convinced federal and state legislatures to enact into law that all public schools must teach health classes

• Founded the first day care centers

• Convinced state legislatures to place women on police forces as matrons and law enforcement officers

• Promoted the study of nutrition for well-balanced diets

• Founded the Traveler's Aid Society

• Started Mother's Meetings which grew into the PTA

• Founded Legal Aid Societies for women and the poor who could not afford legal representation

• Founded the first kindergartens

• Promoted equal pay for equal work for women and men

• Helped to enact child and adult labor laws

• Helped to enact and/or raise the age of consent laws for sexual activity (was as low as seven in states that had consent laws)

• Founded foster homes and orphanages, homes for the elderly, homes for abused children, homes for pregnant teenagers, and homes for prostitutes

• Helped mold public opinion to enact the 18th and 19th Amendments to the United States Constitution

Many historians have noted that the WCTU was the primary, most efficiently organized prolific source of energy and accomplishments to ever fuel the Women's Movement.

For further information visit: www.wctu.org

or write the National WCTU, 1730 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201-4585