Our History
Our H istory In 1983, Celeste W. Burton acted on her vision to start an organization dedicated to friendship and service. She invited Davetta Madison, Dorothy Patton and Myrtle Roane to join her as the circle of Founders for The Society. Later, charter members Jean Dobbins; Alyce Gaither; Carolyn Hyman; Dr. Judine B. Johnson; Ethel Lee Walker; Frances W. Moore; Anna Pendergrast; Barbara Quick; Patricia Robb; Dolores Spaulding; Patricia Stokes; and Evelyn Syphax formed the nucleus of the organization. Dr. Judine B. Johnson was elected as the first chapter Founder president and “The Society” became a recognized local organization. Its goal was to promote friendship among members and to serve as a resource in the arts for young people. The new chapter conducted various service initiatives to showcase students’ talents, and the members maintained a formidable presence and impact in the public arena. On October 31, 1985, The Society was officially designated as a non-profit organization. After conducting a series of successful arts programs, the ladies applied and was granted Articles of Incorporation in 1992. They adopted Peach and Cream as the official colors; the Peach Colored Tea Rose as the official flower; and an embellished script style “S” as the organization’s symbol. Much later the “Youth Arts Showcase” was suggested by Lady Ethel Lee and adopted as the national signature program. In 2011, The Society Song was penned by Lady Alethia L. Spraggins, and in 2019, the phrase “Supporting the Arts” was added as a permanent subtitle
Celeste W. Burton
38 | The Society, Incorpor ated
to “The Society, Incorporated” to better communicate our mission. Since delegates adopted the National Constitution and Bylaws on April 25,1992, The Society, Incorporated gained momentum and celebrated many key milestones. The 16 National Founders and Charter Members were: Celeste W. Burton; Jean Dobbins; Alyce Gaither; Carolyn Hyman; Judine Bishop Johnson; Ethel R. Lee; Davetta Madison; Frances W. Moore; Dorothy Patton; Anna Pendergrast; Barbara Quick; Myrtle Roane; Patricia Robb; Dolores Spaulding; Patricia Stokes; and Evelyn Syphax. Elected national presidents include: Dr. Judine B. Johnson (1992-1996); Dr. Freddye T. Davy (1996-1997); Dr. Carolyne Lamar Jordan (1997-2002); Dr. Jacqueline Bontemps (2002-2007); Dr. Alethia L. Spraggins (2007-2011); Antoinette Carter (2011-2015); Julia A. Pollard (2015-2019); and Dr. Gwendolyn B. Lee (2019 – 2023). The administration’s first chartering was the Baltimore Chapter, in 1987. Thirteen more chapters were chartered during the first decade. As of April 2021,The Society, Incorporated has grown to more than 600 members in 30 chapters. National Conferences have been held in the following locations: Washington, D.C. (1988); Baltimore, MD (1990); Lakeland, Fl (1992); Washington, D.C. (1994); South Carolina (1996); Arlington, VA (1998); Savannah, GA (2000); Richmond, VA (2002); Montgomery County, MD (2003); Los Angeles, CA (2005); Memphis, TN (2007); Prince George’s County, MD (2009); Chesapeake, MD (2011); Potomac River, VA (2013); Delaware Valley Philadelphia, PA (2015); Tidewater Newport News, VA (2017);
