COLUMBIA, SC — On Saturday, March 21, 2009, the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is holding a women’s history program, “Breaking Boundaries: Women and World War I.” This program will examine the roles of women overseas and on the homefront and how their actions helped to bring about change. Topics include the work of the Red Cross, women’s roles in state organizations, and World War I and its impact on women’s suffrage.
The program, which includes a gallery tour, will begin at 2:00. Speakers include Dr. Marjorie Spruill, University of South Carolina Professor of History, Elizabeth West, University of South Carolina Archivist, and Kristina Dunn Johnson, the museum’s Curator of History. Admission for the program, museum, and tour is $5.00 age 18-61, $4.00 seniors and military, $2.00 age 13-17, and free for children 12 and under. The program schedule is listed below.
The story of women in the Red Cross during in World War I is part of the museum's "Forgotten Stories: South Carolina Fights the Great War" exhibit, which features Red Cross artifacts, including an overdress, hat, and boots.
Founded in 1896, the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is the oldest museum in the Columbia area. The museum focuses on South Carolina’s military history from the Revolutionary War to the present War on Terror.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
2:00 – Opening Remarks
2:05 – “American Women Nurses Overseas During World War I,” Kristina Dunn Johnson (Curator of History)
2:35 – 5 Minute Break
2:40 – “Avenues of Feminine Patriotism in World War I South Carolina,” Elizabeth C. West (University of SC Archivist)
3:10 – 10 Minute Break
3:20 – “Victory at Home and Abroad: World War I and the Final Push for Woman Suffrage,” Marjorie J. Spruill, PhD (University of SC History Professor)
3:50 – Closing Remarks
4:00 – Tour of World War I Exhibit Gallery, Kristina Dunn Johnson (Curator of History)