The Ebell Society was a women's cultural and study club in Oakland, California, named for Dr. Adrian Ebell, an educator and leader in the feminist movement. Dr. Ebell traveled to Oakland to meet with a group of Oakland women at the First Congregational Church where he assisted them in organizing the second chapter of the International Academy for the Advancement of Women. While off for a European tour with a few of the Oakland ladies, Dr. Ebell died when he was only 38. The name of the Oakland chapter was changed to the Ebell Society for the Advancement of Women to posthumously honor Dr. Ebell.
The Oakland branch was founded in 1876 1 or 1878 3. From 1907 to 1959 the Ebell Society Club House, a magnificent Tudor Revival building, stood at 1440 Harrison Street in Oakland. It was designed by A. W. Smith. In 1959 the building burned to the ground, and today the site is a parking lot.
The Camron-Stanford House has an amazing exhibit about the Ebell Society, which will be up until April, 2015. Photos CC SA-BY Our Oakland.
Pages tagged “Ebell Society”
Links and References
- The Ebell Society and the Pardees at Forefront of Oakland Culture Pardee Home Museum Newsletter (November 1999)
- Ebell Society Club House Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division
- Encyclopedia of Women in the American West
- San Francisco Blue Book 1909 (includes list of members)