Introduction

College Wives Entertain, December 22, 1954

State's Mates members having a jolly time, December 22, 1954.

The members of State's Mates, a club for student wives that operated between 1947 and 1977 on the campus of North Carolina State University, participated in an array of activities that were aimed at benefiting local folks, groups, and organizations. Like many other women's groups in this decade, State's Mates devoted their time, materials, and monetary gifts to their local communities in the spirit of volunteerism. Despite their primary orientation toward social activities, the State's Mates incorporated civic participation and philanthropy as significant aspects of their organization. Committee records, letters, and articles from The Raleigh Times and The Technician indicate that the group held a strong commitment to serving those in need despite their characterization as a social club. Examples of civic involvement include fundraising for the March of Dimes, donations to the Wake County Detention Home, and a “Big Sister” program at a local school for the blind. Each year, the group would select one institution or project in Wake County that they would support throughout the year both with their time and material donations. In addition to these large commitments, State's Mates would also devote time and resources to much smaller, one-time contributions throughout Raleigh and the Triangle. Furthermore, the ladies also were committed to engaging with the North Carolina State College community as a whole and were thus involved with community service-oriented tasks that were of direct benefit to the university.

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