Chapter XV – Mississippi
Founded: 1952
History: Chapter XV of The Colonial Dames of America was founded in 1952 in order to further preserve our lineage and to better serve the state by providing opportunities of education and historic preservation. From that first small group a small nursing scholarship fund was established in honor of a deceased founder, which has continued for over 60 years.
Chapter Project: Our chapter strives to reach the state through its projects. Initially, we began with The Mary Flowers Hendrix Scholarship Fund, now housed at the outstanding Mississippi University for Women School of Nursing. In past years we “adopted” the restoration project of the Municipal Art Gallery in Jackson, Mississippi, the first recognized art gallery in our state from which the outstanding Mississippi arts program grew, and also the former home of a member’s family who donated the building to the city in the early 1900s. Recently we have increased our statewide reach by helping the restoration project of the Waterworks Building in Columbia, Mississippi, which will eventually house a trifold effort of the town to incorporate a cultural arts forum with both the boys and girls club and a historical museum. Therefore, we have concentrated our efforts to reach from the northern corner of our state through the Capital City to the southern corner where a stillvital small town exists.