Chapter History

El Palo Alto Chapter, NSDAR, received its charter from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on November 25, 1912. Ten ladies, mostly faculty wives of Stanford University met on February 1 of that year at the campus home of Mrs. George C. Price to organize a "D. A. R. Club," looking forward to the formation of a chapter in Palo Alto. Although the chapter was chartered in November 1912, the actual charter did not arrive in Palo Alto until December 1913.   

Among El Palo Alto Chapter, NSDAR, notable members was Mildred Hoover, sister-in-law of President Herbert Hoover. Mrs. Hoover served as the California State Society's regent from 1930 until 1932. She became a California State Society honorary state regent in 1936.

The chapter celebrated 100 years of service to the Society and the community with a gala luncheon at the Sharon Heights Country Club in November 2012. Displayed at the event were the chapter charter as well as a wealth of the chapter's historic documents, photographs of past members, and a tribute to our honored Daughter Mildred Hoover.

In the Rearview Mirror

On February 1, 1912, ten women, mostly faculty wives from Leland Stanford Jr, University, met at the campus home of Mrs. George C. Price to organize a local DAR chapter in Palo Alto. They met again on February 15, 1912 when they decided on a name and by November 25, 1912 that had become a full-fledged chapter. The actual charter, however, did not arrive until December 1913, due (according to the chapter’s minutes), “to mistakes and delays at National Headquarters.”

The Charter members were: Mrs. George C. Price, Miss Elizabeth Green Hughes, Mrs. William H. Kelly, Mrs. Everett P. Lesley, Mrs. Joseph G. Brown, Mrs. John F. Newsom, Mrs. Melvin G. Dodge, Mrs. Ray Lyman Wilbur, Sr., Miss Florence Hughes, Mrs. Charles H. Gilbert, Mrs. Jacob K. Kreps, Miss Georgia F. Cutler, Mrs. Herman D. Sterns, Mrs. Alger W. French, Mrs. Oliver P. Jenkins, Mrs. Ernest W. Martin, Mrs. Frank M. MacFarland, Miss Maude Francis Stevens and Miss Alice Newman Rays.

The earliest meeting minutes and regents’ annual reports do not indicate that the ladies had any problems deciding upon a name. After all, if one has in their community the tree under which Gaspar de Portola camped in 1769 and Padre Palou in 1774, one is very likely to select such a landmark after which to name a DAR chapter. Thus, we became known as the Palo Alto Stanford University Chapter of the DAR.

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Photo courtesy of chapter member

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

California State Society Daughters of the American Revolution