National Textile Association Oral Histories

Organized in 1891, the Textile Club provided the superintendents, agents, and members of the textile mills the opportunity to dine together and hear speakers on subjects of common interest related to textile manufacturing. In 1903, it was incorporated. In 1956, it enlarged its membership to include department heads. The club began with 32 members and grew to over 700 in the mid 1960s. In 1984, the Textile Club established "The Textile Club Annual Scholarship" to support the future of the textile industry by awarding the scholarship to textile sciences students at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. The club was officially dissolved on June 30, 2009 in Boston, MA, at the 947th meeting where the Officers, Directors and General Membership of the Textile Club were in attendance. At this time, the Club also dissolved the Textile Club Annual Scholarship and the Club funds held for the purpose of the scholarship were donated to the Dick Bourdon Flock Fund in the amount of $9,540.71 to support textile studies at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Records and artifacts from the Textile Club were donated to the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, MA.