Celebrating the History of Women in Toastmasters

While it wasn’t until 1973that women were officially admitted as members by Toastmasters International, they had actually been involved for many years before. Yes, they were “wives and sweethearts” of Toastmasters, but they also began their own organization in the 1930s—the Toastmistresses.

Although Toastmasters and Toastmistresses were separate organizations, they both held their conventions in San Jose, California, in 1939. Toastmistresses joined Toastmasters for many of the convention activities. In the 1930s, it was common for the two organizations to have joint meetings, and reports of these events were published

in issues of The Toastmaster.

Some Toastmasters clubs periodically staged special “ladies’ night” events to allow spouses a chance to see for

themselves what Toastmasters was all about. Another option for women was to form a Gavel Club—clubs

affiliated with Toastmasters but for people who don’t qualify for membership in Toastmasters clubs.

Collaboration continued over the next few decades, and, in 1965, Toastmasters’ Founders District proposed to

allow auxiliary clubs for women. The Board of Directors considered this proposal and gave clubs the right to

support such groups if they chose to do so, but none of these groups were officially sanctioned by the interna

tional organization. Then, in 1971, an exemption became available for corporate clubs. Women were able

to join Toastmasters clubs sponsored by corporations to meet equal opportunity requirements. This exemption ultimately led to 10% of established clubs and 25% of recently chartered clubs having

women as part of their membership. Meanwhile, women like Helen Blanchard, who would later become

Toastmasters’ first female International President in 1985, were using gender-neutral names to join clubs. It’s believed that these women boosted membership a great deal in the early 1970s. Blanchard originally applied for membership under the name “H. Blanchard” before World Headquarters requested a full name—she chose Homer.

At the August 1973 International Convention, delegates decided that Toastmasters International would

be open to women, and Blanchard, who had already been elected Club President, could accurately share her name

with W orld Headquarters.

Effects of Women

Women quickly began making their mark as official members of Toastmasters. In 1976, just three years after the membership milestone, Canada’s Stephanie Noonan became the first woman to reach the finals of the World

Championship of Public Speaking®. The year after Noonan’s success, Evelyn Jane Burgay, of Springfield, Virginia, stepped onto the World Championship stage and won, making her both the first woman and first blind member to take the title. Women continued to compete in speech contests for years to come

and, in 2018, three womentook first, second, and third place. At the 2023 World Championship of Public

Speaking, women led the way again, earning the top three spots. “Women will continue to play a significant role in our

organization as members and as leaders,” Jo Anna McWilliams, 2000–2001 International President, said in

the October 1999issueof The Toastmaster. And she has been proven to be correct. After International President Blanchard made her place in history, another woman stepped into the role in 1994—Pauline Shirley, DTM.

In total, seven women have taken the reins to lead Toastmasters International, paving the way for a new

milestone to be met in the coming years. For the first time in Toastmasters history, three women

are set to serve as International Presidentin consecutive terms. Morag Mathieson, DTM, of Moehrendorf,

Germany, was inaugurated in August at the International Convention in Nassau, Bahamas; followed by Radhi Spear, DTM, of Piscataway, New Jersey, in 2024; and Aletta Rochat, DTM, of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2025.

It took the passion, dedication, and determination of Blanchard, Shirley, Burgay, and the many others who

may not have shared their real names for women to be part of this organization. Toastmasters is proud to

celebrate the 50th anniversary of female membership, the many years of participation that came before, and

the many years ahead.