Las Cruces Branch of American Association of University Women records,

The Las Cruces-State College Branch of AAUW was founded in the spring of 1923 as the first AAUW branch in New Mexico with Mrs. Luther Foster as the first president. The branch was recognized by the National Association on June 25, 1923. Known as the Las Cruces Branch of AAUW since April 25, 1959.

The branch joined the Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Santa Fe, and Roswell branches to form the New Mexico Division in 1933. The earliest records show the branch and it members active in the community. During the years of World War II, the branch members were active in the Red Cross, bond drives, and relief drives and in helping with parties for servicemen stationed in the area.

In preparing for the branch's 55th Anniversary a number of early members were contacted and they shared the early history of the organization, the correspondence is located within the collection. The Las Cruces Branch was a very small branch for many years due to the limited number of women in the community eligible for AAUW membership. The early members of the branch worked hard from the beginning to secure national and local recognization of the AAUW.

However, it was not until November 1954 that AAUW recogition by the College was obtained. After a post accreditation inspection in 1957 by AAUW, the College was threatened with loss of accreditation because of the poor physical education program for women and the lack of decent gym facilities for women. The local branch members had persisted all these years in pointing out things needed for the College to be acceptable to AAUW and worked to get a woman on the Board of Regents, and finally they got a gymnasium for women, dedicated in October 1959 as Rentfrow Gymnasium.

Throughout the years, the branch has sponsored many art exhibits, lectures, and even several series of outstanding foreign films. Members of the art committee helped organize the Community Concert Series in Las Cruces in 1945. In 1957, members of the branch participated in the formation of a Mental Health Committee in Las Cruces, which brought the first psychiatrist and psychiatric social worker to Las Cruces. In 1959 the branch was one of only two women's organizations in Las Cruces to have a representative on a hospital advisory committee formed to work with the Hospital Planning Committee. In 1958, members of the branch were instrumental in forming a Legislative Council in Las Cruces of representatives from the legislative groups in a number of local organizations. In 1975, the branch joined other organizations in Las Cruces in a coalition to fight bills introduced in the legislature that session to rescind the New Mexico ratification of the federal Equal Rights Amendment and to fight attempts to initiate action to repeal the New Mexico Equal Rights Amendment already approved by the New Mexico voters. In 1976, members of the branch cooperated with the New Mexico Energy Resources Board and the Federal Energy Administration by conducting "Project Conserve" teacher workshops in schools in Las Cruces and other communities.

One of the first projects sponsored by the branch was the hot lunch program at the Booker T. Washington School in Las Cruces. The project was begun in 1941 and continued through the 1947-1948 school year. In 1946, the branch Social Studies Committee did a study of the problems of families in low income brackets. The group worked with other groups in the community to sponsor a series of "Well Child Clinics" throughout Do?a Ana County from June 1949 to March 1950. Other studies by the branch led to attempts to obtain juvenile detention homes for the area, to start a Youth Employment Service, and to organize a juvenile jury system and Youth Council for Civic Affairs in the area. Many of the studies and surveys made by the branch led to legislative resolutions and efforts including support of kindergartens with certification of teachers under the State Department of Education, women's property and testamentary rights and detention homes for juveniles.

In 1953, the branch initiated a Radio Book Quiz to stimulate interest in good reading among young people. The project continued under the branch's sponsorship through 1958 and in 1959 was co-sponsored by the PTA and was continued until the 1970s under various other sponsors. In 1955, the branch began honoring an outstanding senior girl in the local high school in its "Girl of the Month" program. When the second high school, Mayfield High School, began operation, the program included girls from both high schools. Beginning in 1962, the branch has also honored a graduating senior woman and New Mexico State University with an award of honoray membership in AAUW at the Women of Achievement Banquet held each spring on campus.

The branch began 1978 by celebrating it fifty-fifth anniversary at a tea held at the Palms Motel in Las Cruces, New Mexico on January 8, 1978. The New Mexico Division President, of Portales, and Vice President for Membership, , were on hand to help the branch and its other guests celebrate the occasion.