Make new friends, but keep the old
By Jan Fritz, Club President
This rhyme came to mind when I attended Dr. James Henderson’s virtual tour of the Club, sponsored by the WCW Operations Committee. One of the highlights of the evening was the surprise unveiling, during the dinner preceding the tour, of a portrait of one of our “old” friends— former WCW member Elizabeth Plankinton. The portrait is now on loan to the Woman’s Club from the Milwaukee County Historical Society, thanks to the efforts of MCHS board member Mary Read and MCHS Board President Randy Bryant.
During the recent renovation of the Milwaukee County Historical Society building, the Plankinton portrait was removed from display. So, when Mr. Bryant was approached with the idea of loaning it to the Woman’s Club, he was delighted. “She certainly belongs back at the Club which meant so much to her,” he said as he presented the portrait to the Woman’s Club where it will hang over the fireplace in the Main Dining Room for the next year.
Elizabeth Plankinton was the only daughter of John Plankinton, a philanthropist, a leader in the meat packing industry, and a pioneer in the development of the city of Milwaukee. His only daughter, Elizabeth, a WCW member from the late 1800s until her death, continued her father’s tradition of philanthropy and was known in Milwaukee as the “municipal patroness.” The Chinese table and chair that can be seen in front of the Club office were her gifts.
Her portrait joins three others now hanging in the Main Dining Room: Mrs. Alexander (Martha) Mitchell, WCW charter member and first WCW president; Mrs. Grant (Eliza) Fitch, who was tireless in her efforts to build the Athenaeum, as our clubhouse was originally known, and who was the first president of the College Endowment Association; and Mrs. William Pitt(Mary) Lynde, WCW charter member and third Club president.
With the Plankinton portrait, an old friend returned to the Club. In May, many new friends came to the Club for a dinner honoring new WCW members. The Milwaukee Room was literally buzzing with excitement as we got better acquainted with each new member and learned about the diversity of their interests, talents and reasons for joining the Club.
Our members, old and new, truly are our treasures; and it is with great pleasure that we welcome the portrait of Elizabeth Plankinton and our many new members to the Woman’s Club of Wisconsin.
