Written by Mrs. Mary Otte for the Sasebo Chapter. "Today, I want to tell you a little of the history of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Our society is over 100 years old. We are an organization dedicated to historic preservation, educational activities, and patriotic endeavor. These have been our objectives from the beginning, and they have given our organization its purpose and strength through the years. When the Sons of the American Revolution decided to exclude women from its organization, they set the wheels in motion for women to form their own society. Mary Smith Lockwood wrote an editorial in the Washington Post. In her editorial, Mrs. Lockwood proved that women contributed a great deal to the revolution. William O. McDowell, a member of the SAR, who also felt that the Son's had made a bad decision to keep women out, believed that women should form their own society. Mr. McDowell wrote his own letter to the Post. He called on every woman of Revolutionary descent to send her name and address to him for purposes of organization. Six women responded. On July 29th, 1890, the first organizational meeting was held with Eugenia Washington, Mary Desha, Hannah Wolfe, Louise Brown, and Ellen Walworth being present. It was decided that any action should wait until fall since so many ladies were gone from Washington, D.C. for the summer, but Mr. McDowell would not be put off. He wrote to Miss Desha insisting that they proceed. The next meeting on August 9th was attended by Miss Desha, Mrs. Walworth, and Miss Washington. The meeting produced a constitution and a board of management. They also set the date for the official meeting for organization which would be held on October 11, 1890, the anniversary of the discovery of America. Eighteen women and four men attended the first official meeting of the NSDAR. Our first President General was Caroline Scott Harrison, wife of President Benjamin Harrison. And our first project was assisting in the completion of the Mary Washington monument. She was the mother of President George Washington. Our members provided almost three-fourths of the cost of the project. In the first year, 816 women joined the DAR. Members join the national organization and where 12 members wish they can form local chapter. The founders of our National Society are Miss Eugenia Washington, Miss Mary Desha, Mrs. Ellen Walworth, and Mrs. Mary Lockwood. All of them were single self-supporting women. Two were widows and two had never been married. Eugenia Washington and Mary Desha worked for the federal government. Mary Lockwood was a published author and kept a boarding house. Ellen Walworth was a lawyer. She also wrote and gave lectures on parliamentary law. Even though these ladies came from distinguished families, none of them had husbands to provide social and financial support needed in a pre-woman-suffrage society. And for the NSDAR to succeed, they needed to attract the interest of prominent women in their organization. That is why the selection of Caroline Harrison for President General was so important. It immediately put the NSDAR in the limelight and got the country's interest. There are many well known members of the NSDAR. The suffragist, Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maimie Eisenhower, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Jean MacArthur - wife of General MacArthur, and Grandma Moses - the artist, to name but a few. On October 18th, 1890, it was Mary Lockwood who first said that the Society needed a home where they could safely preserve and display our country's history. After much consideration, the NSDAR purchased a site of ground located on Seventeenth Street, extending from D to C streets in Washington, D.C. Finally, on October 11, 1902, construction began on Memorial Continental Hall. By the end of 1909, NSDAR moved into "the Finest building ever owned by women". In June of 1921, ground was broken for our Administration building and completed in February of 1923. The dedication for Constitution Hall was April 19th, 1929. It is the auditorium where our annual Continental Congress is held. The NSDAR now had a home to be proud of. And in 1973 and 1985, Memorial Continental Hall and Constitution Hall, respectively, were designated National historic Landmarks. The NSDAR's only function is service to our country. This is accomplished through preserving historical spots, and relics and the building of monuments. Some of these have been the memorial of Jamestown, and the marking of the old trails that the early pioneers followed. We also work to educate our citizens through scholarships, essay contests, and other projects. Finally, reminding Americans of the special meaning of liberty for all as promised by the constitution. Some of the patriotic projects include a donation for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, and the DAR's manual for citizenship given to prospective new citizen. Much has been accomplished in the last 100 years, but there is still much more to do in perpetuating the memory and the spirit of the men and women who achieved American Independence."