Mary O’Farrell city’s first woman to join Rotary
In 1988, Texarkana resident Mary O’Farrell had the honor of becoming the first woman to join Rotary in Texarkana.
“It was a huge honor. It was one of the most significant decisions I ever made,” O’Farrell said.
It was the spring of 1988 and O’Farrell worked for Texarkana Independent School District. She received a phone call from a local Rotary member concerned about the lack of diversity in the Texarkana Rotary Clubs. This was during a time when many civic clubs were becoming more open to women.
“He said Rotary was going to have its district meeting in Texarkana and it might look “backwards” if we didn’t have any women members,” O’Farrell said. Three Texarkana women were being asked to join Rotary and O’Farrell was one of them.
However, the other women decided not to join. Rotary members told O’Farrell she could back out if she wanted to also.
But she wanted to join.
“I said I’m all geared up and ready.”
She joined the Downtown Rotary Club, which is now Wilbur Smith Rotary Club. She quickly became involved in a number of the club’s activities and did not spend a lot of time thinking about being the only woman member.
“I just didn’t think much about it at the time. But I know it was strange for those men at the time. They were kind though and made me feel welcome. They were just wonderful,” she said.
Several more women joined soon after O’Farrell. “After that it just took off,” she said.
O’Farrell served several times as treasurer of the Downtown Rotary Club and was active in the early days of the American Flag project.
Years later, she was reassigned jobs at TISD and had to remain on campus at noon. Because she could not attend noon meetings at the downtown Rotary Club any longer, she became a charter member of the Sunrise Rotary Club which meets early in the morning. “It’s a good option for people who have to be at work at noon,” she said.
Before joining Rotary, O’Farrell was already involved in Junior League and other community activities. She retired from Rotary when she retired from TISD. She now stays busy gathering and organizing donations for “Mary’s Closet” at First United Methodist Church downtown Texarkana.
O’Farrell said she is excited about the 100th birthday of Rotary in Texarkana and would recommend the club to anyone.
“There is not a better bunch of people then Rotarians,” she said. “I would recommend it to anybody. It’s a wonderful organization.”