A community of educated women, since 1902.

Mission

AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. Read the full Mission Statement and our organization details.

Learn new things! Meet new people! Have fun! Join AAUW!

The AAUW Ann Arbor Branch offers:

• A group of educated women with diverse backgrounds and experiences
• Informative and stimulating monthly programs, free and open to the public
• More than 35 small interest groups covering a wide range of topics and activities
• A Used Book Sale that funds national fellowships, local scholarships, and STEM programs for girls
• Community outreach such as Digital Divas at Eastern Michigan University
• Membership in the national and state AAUW organizations

Visitors are welcome at all branch meetings. For more information about meeting times and locations, visit the Programs page or contact us.

To view the annual reports of the Ann Arbor Branch of AAUW, view them on the official branch site.

Our history at a glance

1. 1902Women graduates in and around Ann Arbor, some already members of the Detroit branch, form the Ann Arbor Branch of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. Committees on civil service, legislation, suffrage, and a scholarship loan fund start immediately. Mary Markley, an 1892 U-M graduate, is among the organizers. Dues: $1.50.
2. 1914–1919A Red Cross committee raises money for the war effort; members host enlisted men at Barbour Gym. The scholarship fund reaches $1,000. In 1919 the ACA becomes the American Association of University Women.
3. 1920sThe branch contributes thousands of dollars toward building the Michigan League. Speakers include U-M presidents and the poet Robert Frost.
4. 1941The branch newsletter, the Bulletin, begins. Today it is Connections.
5. 1953The first Used Book Sale fills the concourse of the Michigan League for two days. It becomes the branch's primary source of scholarship funds and a community institution.
6. 1956–1959Mary Markley's bequest establishes the scholarship in her name; the first award is made in 1959 and has been given every year since, except one.
7. 1972–1977Bibliomaniacs (1972) and the Inglis Recorder Players (1977) begin; both interest groups are still active.
8. 1984The Ypsilanti branch, independent for 34 years, reunites with Ann Arbor.
9. 1998A bequest from former member Margaret Weddell Brandon endows a scholarship at Washtenaw Community College and supports counseling at U-M's Center for the Education of Women.
10. 2000sSister-to-Sister Summits bring middle school girls together; the branch helps defeat a school voucher proposal alongside the League of Women Voters and others; endowed scholarships are established at EMU (2001) and U-M (2006, 2019).
11. 2010–todayThe branch becomes a founding supporter of Digital Divas at EMU, which has introduced more than 10,000 girls to STEM careers. The 72nd Used Book Sale was held in September 2026.

Read the full branch history

Leadership and governance