A Glimpse Into Our Charter Members
The Atlanta Chapter was established in February 1951 through the efforts of Mrs. Elizabeth Macomson, a teacher at Spelman College. Inspired by a suggestion from an Albany Chapter member, she recognized the need for this mothers’ organization in our city. The chapter began as a small group of mothers connected to the various schools within the Atlanta University Center Consortium. Mrs. Helen Bell Robinson Brooks, a colleague of Mrs. Macomson, graciously hosted the group’s initial organizational meeting in her home at 988 Westmoor Drive, laying the foundation for what would become the Atlanta Chapter.
The charter members were as follows: Betty Boyd Mapp, Ernestine Brazeal, Miriam Burney, Harriet Chisholm, Ernestine Comer, Billie Davis, Grace DeLorme, Louis Eagleson, Jacqueline Frye, Sadie Gaines, Ann Graves, Gertrude Hackney, Marge Harper, Freddye Henderson, Dorthea Hill, Juliette Jackson, Ruth Jackson, Gladys Powell, Ruth Scott, Marion Scott, Clara Singleton, Juanita Smith, Lavada Smith, Helen Westerfield, Virginia Whatley, Beatrice Williams and Irene Wilson.
At the time of installation on September 16, 1951, the Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill recorded 34 mother members. Mrs. Elizabeth Seay of Buffalo, New York, national president of the Jack and Jill of America for that year, flew in for the installation, as she was touring recently established chapters in the south. Mrs. Seay stressed the “value [of] emotional stability and security play, in developing healthy and happy children” that would become the parents of tomorrow.
By the mid to late 1950s, the Atlanta Chapter mothers and children had become deeply rooted in charitable work. The children eagerly packed and sent woolen mittens overseas to help children in need, a country chosen by the American Friends Committee. They brought gifts and smiles to hospitalized children, brightening their days. For the mothers, the highlight of the year was the Annual Charity Ball — a much-anticipated event that raised funds for several worthy causes. They also marched in support of the fight against polio and extended their care by adopting needy families, weaving compassion and service into the heart of the chapter’s identity.
An Atlanta Chapter Charter member , Helen Robinson Brooks shared that finding activities for the children that were entertaining, educational and engaging was a real challenge for the mothers. The Atlanta chapter children were the first Black children to participate in a then popular WSB-TV puppet show called “Woody Willow”. Activities defined the children’s Saturdays at the YMCA. The activities included swimming, playing basketball, softball, and enjoying a host of seasonal sports. Once a month, they gathered for meetings alive with creativity — dramatics, soap carving, sewing, dancing, music, and games all became part of their rhythm, shaping both their skills and their friendships.
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