American Red Cross Fond du Lac County Chapter History
The Early Years
November 1916 – Office Received Charter
February 1917 – Classes started preparing for War
May 1917 – First H&S classes taught. 10 lessons on first aid.
June 1917 – Leisure Hour Club established to knit for the troops
October 1917 – First Aid books available at Library
May 1918 – Dr. Fish & nurse Vandervoot leave fro Europe as RC volunteers
May 1918 – Major fund raiser “White Elephant Sale” nets $2,600
June 1918 – Picnic held at Keys Farm attracting 1,500 people
July 1918 - Jane Taylor, deployed to Panama as RC volunteer
July 1918 – 192 convalescent robes are made
November 1918 – “Red Cross urges everyone to save nut shells & pits of fruit, and place them in the barrels around town. They are made into gas masks.”
December 1918 - RC trains and serves meals to returning troops
January 1919 - Membership totals 18,902 since 1916
May 1923 – 117 Babies examined in 5 days
October 1923 – Ellis Walker made 1,159 home visits last year
January 1931 – Annual budget included 1,134 volunteers
April 1932 – 1,000 workers helped with making garments for Federal relief program
March 1934 – “Red Cross distributed 10,000 sacks of surplus flour, 400 layettes, and 5,000 dresses over the past year.”
June 1934 – 65 people enrolled for 15 week classes in relief work to help with WPA and CCC projects
November 1937 – 600 people were trained in First Aid by 11 physicians & 18 lay instructors this year
October 1938 - An Emergency Highway Fund was established for the “most dangerous road in the county” – Hwy 45A
1940-1970
February 1940 – 80 sweaters were knitted and sent to Europe to the troops
April 1942 – 500 comfort bags were sent to the War Department for the troops
May 1942 – A goal of 100 sweaters was set for the next few months for the war effort
June 1942 – 3,701 pieces of clothing were shipped to the troops
August 1942 – Chapter sponsors first blood drive
September 1942 – Chapter starts accepting messages from troops and sets up writing campaigns
September 1942 – 800 plus blood units were drawn in 3 days
February 1943 - Blood donations now include requests for plasma
March 1943 – Fund raisers for last year raised $36,000
August 1945 – Peace declared – Chapter establishes “Life Saver Club” for blood donors
June 1947 – Fond du Lac establishes a local blood bank
June 1949 – Capital fund drive raises $25,000
August 1950 – Disaster preparedness classes start (Cold War preparedness)
September 1950 – Bloodmobile visits Fond du Lac and promotes donations for soldiers in Korea
September 1953 – Certificate presented to Judy Beyer, 15, Lake DeNeveu, for saving the life of Darryle Judson.
October 1967 – National thanks Chapter for hard work for soldiers in Vietnam
August 1969 – RC slates “Hurricane Disaster Day” and raises $5,000 for relief for victims of Hurricane Camille
Chapter Offices
1916 – 65 S. Main Street
1918 – Macy & Forest (up stairs)
1921 – Community Building
1931 – 57 S. Main (Hamilton Park Building)
1938 – 150 S. Main
1949 – 27 Forest Ave (Waldschmidt property)
1967 – N. Main & W. Cotton (Sinclair Refining Co.)
**For additional historical Information on the American Red Cross visit: http://www.redcross.org/museum/history/