HISTORY and PURPOSE ... On June 30, 2005, the Women’s Equity Foundation was incorporated in Tennessee as a supporting organization of the American Association of University Women Maryville Branch. The Foundation received tax exempt status from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charitable organization, effective October 26, 2005.

In addition to being the first branch in Tennessee to host a Sister-to-Sister Summit, Maryville was selected by AAUW as one of eight branches across the country to receive a Sisters-in-Action Grant not once but twice.

The branch has been consistently honored with Gold and Platinum Awards by AAUW’s 21st Century Recognition Program and were recognized at the 2003 AAUW National Convention in their "Taste of Success" exhibit.

In June 2003, the branch was invited as part of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women’s panel at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) in Washington, D.C. to present on the Sister-to-Sister Summit's role in grassroots activism.

The AAUW Maryville Branch has received national recognition for its community outreach programs. The branch has also received consistent national and state acclaim for leadership, community visibility, membership growth, and technological implementation.

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	Founding Board of Directors Front Row, L to R: Kathleen Sallee, Treasurer Harolyn (Harri) Ropp, President Wendy Pitts Reeves, Secretary Back Row, L to R: Vivian Selecman, Director Millie Flood, Director Charlotte Crawford, Director