History and Purpose

History

On February 28, 1854, thirty abolitionist Free Soilers, Northern Democrats, and Whigs opposed to the expansion of slavery into the new western territories, and seeking to open the West to small homesteaders, informally gathered in Ripon, Wisconsin. The name, Republican, synonymous with equality, and echoing Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican party, was formally adopted at the first official Republican convention that took place on July 6, 1854, in Jackson, Michigan. In 1856, the Republicans became a national party, and by 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House. The rest is nothing else but glorious political American history!

Seven years ago, the Wellesley College Republicans (WCR) was reborn. The club began many years ago as the Wellesley Young Republicans, and participated in lectures, debates, and campaigns. One famous alum of the club actually includes Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was president of the club during her freshman year in 1966. Other famous Republicans at Wellesley include Marion Martin, who in 1937 founded the National Federation of Republican Women. Though the Wellesley College Republicans later suffered a decline, it was recommenced in 2000 by five enthusiastic students under the banner, "Wellesley College Republicans". Since that time, the club has grown astoundingly from those five members, with a particularly rapid increase in the last three years.

The WCR has sponsored numerous VIP lectures, debates, sophisticated social activities, active campaigning for local, state, and national candidates, and campus-wide charity drives. In 2004, the WCR kicked off its "Wellesley Women for W" campaign to re-elect President George W. Bush, eventually receiving recognition on the official georgewbush.com blog. From humble beginnings, like the beginnings of the Republican Party itself, the Welesley College Republicans has grown into an enthusiastic and well-respected group of Republican women, both on-campus and statewide.

Purpose

The purpose of the Wellesley College Republicans is to:

Encourage involvement in a political party

Foster political expression, debate, and understanding on campus

Educate the Wellesley community about the platform and positions of the Republican party

Support candidates in local, state, and national elections

Cooperate with the Massachusetts State Republican Party and the Massachusetts Alliance of College Republicans (MACR).

The Constitution of the Wellesley College Republicans