When the ladies of Vernon first named their new organization in honor of Clio, the Greek Muse of history, they couldn’t have known their club would become a part of women’s history in Indiana and the United States.
The Vernon Clionian Society began in the early days of the 19th century and later officially organized with its own constitution by 1858. The year makes it the oldest women’s group in the state and possibly even in the United States.
“We know it was officially organized by 1858 because a dated copy of their constitution was discovered when the first high school building was torn down in 1920,” said Vernon Clionian Society Vice-President Louise Malcomb.
It is believed the Clionian Society helped establish the first high school in Jennings County, the Vernon Academy, because a copy of the Clionian Society’s constitution was entombed in the cornerstone of the building when the academy was built in 1858.
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The constitution was unearthed in 1920 when the building was razed to make way for a new high school building.
Recently retired from the Herman B. Wells Library at Indiana University, Malcomb is using her skills as a researcher of government documents to help reconstruct the history of the Vernon Clionian Society.
The documented discovery of the Clionian Society constitution proves the women’s group was officially established one year before any other group in the state was established. It also proves the group was established over four years before another women’s group was founded in New York.
According to the Clionian Society’s constitution, the purpose of the group was established as, “The object of the club is for the moral, social, educational and civic upbuilding of our town and community and a united effort to fulfill all duties as laid down in our year book.”
“I think this is important and very interesting because it proves that even in the very rural communities, women have always been working to help build their communities. That has often been over looked in history,” Malcomb said.
Bits and pieces of Jennings County history show the Clionian Society existed as early as 1825 but the documentation is proving difficult to find.
“It’s out there someplace and we just have to find it,” said Malcomb adding that any mention of the Clionian Society in local family histories or old newspaper articles would be very helpful.
Led by President Cindy Daeger, the Vernon Clionian Society is now active. The group raises money for donation to educational projects and social needs of the community. They also work to promote county history and the arts.
By mandates of the original constitution, the Clionian Society is limited to only 25 members but Malcomb said, “ Some of us are trying find a way to open the Clionians up for more members. We’ve looked at several possibilities and we are studying the issue.”
