Academic group The Student Club marks anniversary in Aiken

Bill Bengtson, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

Oct. 8—One of Aiken County's oldest literary groups held an anniversary celebration Oct. 6, welcoming a belated chance for fellowship in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Student Club, which dates back to 1901 and an effort by a group of Converse College graduates, had most of its members on hand at Malia's Restaurant in Aiken for a lunch gathering, marking 120-plus years of pursuing academic interests and keeping up with current events.

The club's current composition includes a four-member officer corps: Vicky Meyer, president; Julie Adams, vice president; Margaret Grande, secretary; and Joyce Hardy, treasurer. Their fellow club members are Myrtle Anderson, Sally Bradley, Ann Cofer, Jane Davis, Marian Dean, Jane Keisler, Cutie Lucius, Gail McLain, Pat Pennington, Mary Katherine Philip, Philly Sorensen, Dr. Charlotte Wiedenman, Marie Tewkesbury, Jane Scott, Susan Elder, Mary Musick, Jane Vaughters, Leslie Gouge, Linda Hunley, Deedee Vaughters, Leslie Garnett, Melissa Hiner, Anna Dangerfield, Mary Helen Simons and Mary Hunter.

Meyer noted that meetings are usually held in the homes of members on the second Thursday of the month at 3:30 p.m. The club year runs from October through May, and meetings in a given year focus on a particular theme, with this year's emphasis being on "creative women," Meyer added.

"Basically, it was started by a group of Converse-educated women, to keep their minds sharp," said Wiedenman. "We've maintained a lot of the traditions ... and we pay a very nominal amount of dues every year, and by and large, it's all donated to a scholarship at USC Aiken."

She added, "My favorite aspect of the club is being given an overarching theme for the year and then finding a topic within that theme that interests me and delving deep into the research."

A Feb. 3, 1961, article in what was then the Aiken Standard and Review noted such club associates as "Mrs. James F. Byrnes (honorary member), Mrs. R.G. Tarrant (charter member), Mrs. Mary Lyon (charter member) and Mrs. William Pardue." The report of that group's anniversary meeting also included acknowledgment of "Miss Elizabeth Teague, a charter member who still retains her membership and who read the history of the club yesterday afternoon."

The article noted, "The membership, which has been kept at 20, has been drawn from the cultured, educated and spiritual women of Aiken. Among its membership can be found musicians, Red Cross officials, federal officers, teachers, Bible students and most important of all, good mothers and homemakers," as Teague reportedly noted in her account.

"In 1910, the club joined the National Federation of Women's Clubs, and since that time many of the members have held positions in that organization," the 1961 article added.