Grace Porterfield Polk founded the organization as the Indiana Branch of National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW) in 1923. Its name changed to the Indianapolis Branch when a second group organized in Muncie, Indiana in 1944. The national Pen Women’s group began in Washington, D.C. in 1897, when women were excluded from the all-male Washington Press Club. Thereafter, the national and local groups, like the Indianapolis Branch, have brought together professional women artists, journalists, and musicians to provide contacts, information, and mutual support.
Pen Women have contributed to the cultural life of Indianapolis by providing regular programs and workshops for members and guests in the areas of art, letters, and music. The group also sponsored state and local art and writing competitions. The most numerous and active of the members within the local branch were journalists, followed by artists. Throughout its existence, this professional association has benefited and promoted the careers of many local women journalists and artists. Several Indianapolis members have been highly active in the national organization.
*Note: This entry is from the original print edition of the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (1994). We are currently seeking an individual with knowledge of this topic to update this entry.
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