HISTORY OF THE GMRWC



    The long history of The Greater McLean Republican Women’s Club (GMRWC) goes all the way back to 1944,
    having its roots in the Fairfax County Republican Women’s Club. The FCRWC was the first Republican Women’s
    Club in the county and preceded by one year the charter of the Virginia Federation of Republican Women. When
    the FCRWC disbanded after 20 years of service, a group of ten or so of its members gathered to organize the
    Greater McLean Republican Women’s Club. The GMRWC was chartered in 1968, and two years later, under
    President Louise Geil, joined the Virginia federation. From these ten founding women, the club has grown to an
    average annual membership of 200, even surpassing 300 during the Reagan years.

    The GMRWC has produced three VFRW presidents, as well as numerous VFRW and NFRW (National
    Federation of Republican Women) board members. Members have sought, and/or won, elective office for such
    public service positions as the school board, County Board of Supervisors, State Senate, Lt. Governor, and
    National Committee Woman. These public servants have come from a membership drawn from all walks of life: homemakers, teachers, small business owners, lawyers, doctors, accountants, corporate officers, elected officials, wives of elected officials, members of the DAR, and naturalized citizens, reflecting a cross section of 21st century American women.

    The GMRWC, led by President Dot Callahan, helped to elect the first Republican Governor since Reconstruction, Gov. Linwood Holton. Gov. Holton was a McLean resident whose wife, Jinx, was a member of our club. And the
    list of successful candidates whom the club supported and for whom its members worked tirelessly goes on from there.

    PRESIDENTS OF THE GMRWC and their SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

    Betty Brittan
    		 Gov. Mills Godwin
    Betty Greer
    		 Gov. John N. Dalton and Attorney General Marshall Coleman
    Peggy Trossen
    		 Gov. George Allen
    Judy Shreve
    		 Gov. Jim Gilmore
    Susie Wyland
    		 Sen. John Warner
    Deb Pietras
    		 Sen. George Allen


    In addition, the Club was key to the election of many other candidates including

      • Frank Wolf, US Congress
      • Vince Callahan and Barbara Comstock, Va. House of Delegates
      • Bob Andrews, Va. State Senate
      • Nancy Falck and Joan Dubois, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors


    Ultimately, the GMRWC earned the nickname “The McLean Mafia” due to its political influence. If the club endorsed a candidate, it mattered. It still does. GMRWC is for:

      G = Good Government
      M = Moral and Ethical Principles
      R = Republican Candidates
      W = Women in Elective Office
      C = Civics Education and Community Service



    JOIN US, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE


    THE FOUNDERS OF GMRWC

    Louise Geil
    Dot Callahan
    Elsie Beardsley
    Marion Rosengren
    Ceres Gaskins
    Dr. Cecile Reeves
    Janice Lightfoot
    Lillian George
    Ruth Strube
    Betsy Walsh