Some personal reflections on the Westfield League's history

(from an interview with Alice Rugg in 1996, by Susan Yates).

Alice Rugg joined the League of Women Voters in 1944.  She is the most long-standing member of the Westfield Area League, and through some of her memories we get a glimpse of the League in its earliest days.

Alice is a native of Louisiana.  She and her husband came to Westfield in February 1941. "I didn't join the League at that time," she recounts,  "but was introduced to it through a Mrs. Rockwell, whom I met soon after joining the Baptist church on Elm Street.  Mrs. Rockwell invited me to a local League meeting, where I remember one of the discussion topics was 'milk control'. Alice eventually learned, though not from Mrs. Rockwell's own lips, that she had been one of the Westfield League's early presidents and an influential leader in the organization's formative year, 1920. "She once ran for political office, the Senate I think, without success.  She was a person of dedication, persistence and modesty.  I came to admire her enormously.  Also Marian Douglas, another Westfield League member, ran for Governor."

Thanks to Mrs. Rockwell's influence, when she moved to Essex County in 1944, Alice immediately joined the West Essex League, even though she had a forty-eight -hour-a -week war job.  She remained an involved member for fifteen years, when she and her family returned to Westfield.  "I joined the Westfield League and have been a member ever since for a total of fifty three* years."

Alice sat on several State League committees over the years. "That was what I enjoyed the most.  One of my favorites was the UN committee, as foreign policy is my first interest."  This was actually an informal National League committee, which could attend weekly informal briefings for non-governmental organizations, every Wednesday, at the UN headquarters in New York City. "This was extremely rewarding.  The UN is such a good organization.  It saddens me to see it attacked the way it has been of late."

Alice was also a member of the State League's Foreign Policy committee for a number of years. Locally, she says, she was involved with too many committees to recount. 

"My years with the League have been thoroughly rewarding.  I am always stimulated by the conversation of my fellow members, by the intelligent discussion.  We always learn so much from each other and from our studies.  I have also enjoyed the camaraderie.  Back in the 50's and 60's the Westfield League had more than 200 members and we were able to present 4 to 5 studies a month.  Today membership is dropping, and there aren't the members to take on as much.  Everyone is so busy.  Yet, in the current political climate the League is arguably needed more than ever.  The League is still a respected organization. It carries weight with the powers-that-be."

 This web page was made possible by Darryl and Debbie Walker