The Laurel Club

 

The Laurel Club was a club for women

who worked for Johnson & Johnson in

New Brunswick, NJ.  It started in 1907

and lasted until 1925.  According to the

Laurel Club charter the purpose of the

club was "...to create a center where all

may find opportunities of enjoyment and

education."  They charged a 25 cent monthly

dues which helped support charity work and

among those charities were helping local

orphans and entertaining WWI troops from

a local hospital.  Lunches and dinners were

provided for members and cooking classes

were held twice a week.  They had a basketball

team, a Glee Club and a lending library.

 

 

Here is a photo of the basketball team

and in the back row, second from the

right is my namesake, my Grandmother,

Nellie (Ellen) O'Rourke Taylor.  I  remember

my Mum telling us about this club and she

always said the mother of the poet Joyce

Kilmer was involved in running it.