The women of Knoxville gave themselves unselfishly and wholeheartedly to every war movement.  They not only supported the larger organizations, like the Red Cross and the five Liberty Loans, but they also carried on their humanitarian activities through their clubs and patriotic chapters.  The programs of peace were laid aside, and only war work was done or discussed.  The clubs became work shops or clearing houses for ideas on how to help most effectively the national war program.

Three organizations especially were active in this war work.  They were Ossoli Circle, the oldest woman's club in the South and the training school for the women workers of Knoxville; the Knoxville Unit of the Woman's Committee, Council of National Defense; and Bonny Kate Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.

Ossoli Circle

This club began its war work by a call for a mass meeting of all women desiring to do necessary hospital sewing for soldiers.  It was the pioneer organization in Knoxville in the making of hospital garments and in knitting.  In addition to financing itself, the club organized 35 auxiliaries in the city and county.  Upon request of the local chapter of the Red Cross, this work was transferred to it and became the Central Garment Department of its organization.

On June 5, 1917, Ossoli organized the first patriotic parade held in Knoxville after the declaration of war.  The occasion was to honor the men and boys who dedicated on that day their lives to their country's service by registering for military duty.  Ossoli later participated in the Liberty Loan and War Savings Stamp parades.

After the transfer of garment making to the Red Cross, the members of the club took up Belgian Relief work and carried it on for fifteen months.  Under the chairmanship of Mrs. Charles T. Cates, Jr., who was assisted by several committees, five boxes, containing 3,372 new garments, and two boxes, holding towels, pajamas, and other articles of clothing, were shipped to the Commission on Relief of the Belgians.  Later the club sent eight barrels of shoes and 39 boxes of good clothing, numbering 11,355 pieces.  More than $2,000 was raised and expended for Belgian relief and garment making.

During April and August, 1918, two receptions were tendered to drafted men who were leaving for training camps.  A reception also was given to Governor Rye and Major Rutledge Smith upon the occasion of their visit in February, 1918, in the interest of war work.  The Woman's Club building was offered generously free of all charge for all patriotic purposes, and freely it was used during the war.  There were held farewell meetings, there wreaths were twined to throw around the departing soldiers, there garments were sewed, woolen goods knitted, and there the glad welcoming feasts were partly prepared.  The service flag of Ossoli Circle contains the names of 41 men, one of whom, Lieutenant Carrick Yeager, made the supreme sacrifice.

The Woman's Council

The Knoxville Unit of the Woman's Committee, Council of National Defense, was organized in the spring of 1917 with the following officers: Mrs. George F. Mellen, chairman; Miss Mary Boyce Temple, vice-chairman; Miss Laura Thornburgh, secretary; Mrs. Morris Deitch, treasurer.  The city organization was completed by the appointment of 17 department chairmen and the formation throughout the city of 23 units for war work.

These committees and their chairmen were:

[Photo at right - "Eats for the Soldiers:  Showing part of jellies and preserves shipped to Knoxville boys in the various camps."]  Among the patriotic work that was done by the Knoxville Unit through these committees was the following:

• Four campaigns for the signing of Hoover food cards were held, resulting in the signing of 19,000 cards in the city and county.
• Registration of women for war work on October 13, 1917, about 2,200 signifying their willingness.
• The sale of a special edition of one of the local daily newspapers, from which about $1,100 was realized.  This money was used in war work.
• Christmas boxes of "sweets and smokes" were sent to Fort Oglethorpe and money contributed to home charities.
• A conservation exchange was maintained at which excess products were sold and a market made for home-made articles of every kind.
• About 15,000 Hoover Kitchen Cards, urging economy, were placed in the hands of housewives in the city and county.
• Wool was purchased and socks knitted at the council's headquarters.  These were sent to soldiers at the camps.
• The members of the unit took part in the parades and sales of Liberty Loan bonds and War Savings Stamps.
• War food demonstrations were given at the council's headquarters.
• All members gave their assistance in the collection of books and magazines for camp libraries.
• The War Garden movement was enthusiastically supported by the council.

[Photo at right - "War Garden Window:  Advertising stunt of S. H. George & Sons, which boosted food production campaign."]  The Knoxville unit was always at the call of the state organization, and whenever any kind of patriotic or war work was needed, it rallied and responded unhesitatingly to the demand of the hour.

Bonny Kate Chapter

Like all other organizations of the city, Bonny Kate Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, engaged in patriotic work throughout the eighteen months this nation was at war with Germany.  Its members worked in the chapter, in the other clubs, and in all patriotic movements that furthered the war.  Through the enthusiasm and earnestness of the regent, Miss Mary Boyce Temple, the chapter was an active force in war work.

Flag day was observed June 14, 1917, and four months later, October 7, a splendid religious-patriotic celebration was held at the Bijou Theatre upon the occasion of the chapter's twenty-fourth birthday.  Captain Pierre Loriot, of the French Embassy; Major Benton, commandant at the University of Tennessee; and Captain Woodbury were the speakers.  Every organization of the city was represented on the stage.  This meeting, together with others that were held later, aroused the war spirit in the city and county.

In February, 1918, a first aid class of 25 was organized, and in June another member formed a class of young girls to knit for the soldiers.  Another knitting class, formed by the regent, outfitted the entire crew of the Dahlgren, one of our naval craft, on which there were two Knoxville boys.  They were provided with sweaters, wristlets, and mufflers or helmets.  Another box of knitted goods was sent to the battleship Tennessee, another to the 117th Infantry at Camp Sevier, while two others went to the navy.

The chapter aided in the garden movement, in making bandages, hospital garments and trench candles for the Red Cross, and in working at the canteen at the Southern Station.  The chapter also contributed liberally from its funds to support these organizations.  It gave its active support and aid to the Woman's Council of National Defense in the registration of women, in the distribution of Hoover pledge cards and in the campaign for reserve nurses.  Its members were active in all the Liberty Loan and Red Cross campaigns.  The chapter adopted a French war orphan, while its members individually gave their financial support to the adoption of several others.  At Chilhowee Park, Bonny Kate Chapter was one of the hostesses at the Y. W. C. A. Hostess House.

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