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2021 GFWC Annual Convention
GFWC Virginia Honors Millie Brown
Celebrating her 100th Birthday and 75 Years of GFWC Service
The following was featured in The Virginia Clubwoman Magazine in December 2020
Millie Brown was born on Dec. 31, 1920 in Hampton to Oscar and Ada Cowan - just a few months after the 19th amendment was ratified giving women the right to vote.
She attended John W. Willis Elementary School. The students went home for lunch and she remembers her mother giving her a few pennies to buy button candy before returning to class from Gardeners store that was located on the alley that ran behind the school. She graduated from Hampton High School in 1938.
She was only 12 years old when the hurricane of 1933 devastated parts of coastal Virginia. Her father drove the streetcar that went up Chesapeake Ave. from the Small Boat Harbor. He was driving his regular route up the boulevard as the storm waves washed the tracks out behind him on the upper end of the boulevard. That was the very last time the streetcar ran on the boulevard. The tracks were never rebuilt.
Millie married Norman Brown in 1940. They have two children, Lee and Judy. Millie worked as the office manager for Smith Floragift from 1947 to 1970.
During the 1940's, the Virginia Federation of Women's Clubs appointed a special committee to go into communities with a goal of organizing new chapters. The idea was to get more women involved with organized groups to help with the war efforts. Millie's classmate, Mary Scott was contacted by Mrs. N. R. Hoyle to charter a club in Wythe. Mrs. Scott, Millie and about 15 other young married ladies organized the Wythe Woman's Club. Their first meeting was held in November 1945. They were chartered in Jan. 1946. Millie served as Corresponding Secretary which was the first office she held in GFWC but definitely not the last. In the early days, meetings were held in the Wythe fire station, homes of members and in the parish hall of a local church until 1970 when they acquired the Victorian home on the corner of Victoria Blvd. and Armistead Ave. and converted it into a clubhouse. The clubhouse was sold in 2000 and meetings were then held at the Woman's Club of Hampton.
During the war years, members would go to the Victory Arch in Newport News and hand out going away gifts to the military as they boarded the ships to go overseas. They collected and sent food and clothing overseas. They also supported the USO, the Red Cross and other local efforts.
During 1946, a course in parliamentary procedure was sponsored by the Virginia Peninsula unit of the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP). As a result of this, Millie became a Professional Registered Parliamentarian. She served as president of the NAP from 1969 to 1971.
While Millie was president, the club was responsible for the development of Robinson Park and playground which is still the center of the Wythe neighborhood for holiday and seasonal festivities.
Millie was a charter member of the Wythe Woman's Club and was active for over 60 years until it's conclusion when members aged out. During that time, she was involved with tea parties, covered dish suppers, bazaars, play productions and 2 day yard sales twice a year that were famous in Hampton for their clothing and household items.
Many families depended on this sale for back to school clothes. At a luncheon hosted the members for loyal supporters of these sales, one gentleman told Millie that he Iooked forward to getting a "new" suit at the sale each year.
In the spring of 1960, with clubwomen dressed in hats and gloves and the best of the latest fashion, Millie was installed as president of the Tidewater District for the term of 1960-62. Those of you who know her will not be surprised to hear that Millie initiated parties for the district members at state meetings to encourage fellowship while away from home. During this time, state dues were 70C per member with 350 going to C and district dues were IOC.
Millie was state president from 1972-74. The charm pins were introduced during her administration. (She loves her bling!)
Millie served as chairman at the national GFWC level for various departments during 6 terms including Continuing Education
Chairman from 1974-76. She served as editor of the Virginia Club Woman magazine from 1970-1972. She served as parliamentarian at local, district, state and regional levels. She served as international Parliamentarian for 22 years beginning in 1982. During that time she served on the board of directors and went to Washington, D.C every week for meetings. They actually had a room for her in the International Headquarters. She attended many international conventions. She was made an honorary citizen of NC., KY.,and W. Va at the request of some of the presidents she served.
Upon the dissolution of the Wythe Woman's Club, Millie joined the Woman's Club of Hampton where she immediately became an active member and (in her 90s) she served as Parliamentarian, nominating committee chairman and by-laws revision chairman.
Millie has also served on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Mental Health Association. She was the parliamentarian for the Newport News Shipyard for over 20 years. She was a founding member of the Out to Lunch Red Hat Ladies.
Millie loves her family. She loves spending time with her friends.
When you live to be 100, you witness first hand a great deal of history and many changes:
The Roaring twenties and prohibition, The Great Depression, World War Il, Sputnik and the Man on the moon, a time before vaccines for small pox, measles, mumps and polio, Discovery of penicillin, Widespread plumbing, refrigeration, telephones and electricity in every homes Cars, The Civil Rights movement, Television, High Speed air travel, Computers, technology Facebook and e-mail , Smart phones, Zoom.... and also the addition of Sinclair Circle at the intersection of Armistead and Mercury Blvd.
Millie shared the story of her mother driving around in the circle, not knowing how to get out. After a rather lengthy time of driving in circles, she got the courage to follow a car out. She made it home, parked her car in her driveway and never drove again.
Millie celebrating her 75 Years of GFWC Service