Standing committees.—­Executive:  Mrs. Daniel Manning, chairman; Mrs. Holcombe, Miss Egan, Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Coleman, Mrs. Buchwalter, Mrs. Moores, Miss Dawes, Mrs. Knott, Mrs. Hanger, Miss Gould.  Entertainment:  Mrs. Daniel Manning, chairman; Mrs. Porter, Mrs. Everest, Mrs. Sullivan, Mrs. Ernest, Mrs. de Young, Mrs. Horton, Mrs. von Mayhoff, Mrs. Hunsicker.  Foreign Relations:  Miss Dawes, chairman; Mrs. Knott, Miss Gould, Mrs. Holcombe, Mrs. von Mayhoff, Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Moores.  Congresses:  Mrs. Buchwalter, chairman; Mrs. Hanger, Mrs. Andrews.  Press:  Mrs. Knott, chairman; Mrs. Hanger, Miss Egan, Mrs. Moores.  Woman’s Work:  Mrs. Montgomery, chairman; Mrs. Holcombe, Mrs. Daly, Miss Gould, Mrs. Buchwalter, Miss Dawes, Mrs. de Young.  Legislative:  Mrs. Buchwalter, chairman; Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Coleman.  Awards:  Mrs. Hanger, chairman; Mrs. Knott, Miss Egan, Mrs. Porter, Mrs. Hunsicker.  Auditing Committee:  Mrs. Andrews, chairman; Mrs. Ernest, Mrs. Montgomery.

Special committees.—­Hall of Philanthropy:  Miss Helen M. Gould, chairman.  Creche:  Miss Helen M. Gould, chairman; Mrs. Everest, Mrs. Andrews, Mrs. Sullivan.  House:  Mrs. Ernest, chairman; resident members of board and members of rotating committee on duty.  Model Playground:  Mrs. Holcombe, chairman; Mrs. Hanger, Miss Gould.  Editing Minutes:  Mrs. Hanger, chairman; Mrs. Ernest, Miss Dawes.  House Furnishing:  Mrs. Daniel Manning, chairman; Mrs. Holcombe, Mrs. Montgomery.

INTRODUCTION

As it was designed that the St. Louis Exposition should afford an opportunity of demonstrating to other nations the progress that the United States had made in every branch of manufacture, agriculture, and art, the enormous field that existed from which to draw the great variety of material warranted the assumption that a wonderful display would be made.  The sponsorship of our Government, and its invitation to other nations to participate, vested in the citizens of the United States, not only as a nation but as individuals, the responsibility of acceptably placing before the eyes of the world the achievements and advancement not only of their own but of all civilized and semicivilized nations.

The importance of the event rendered it a fitting occasion for women again to exhibit to the world the record of their increasing development and progress.  At the Centennial in Philadelphia the women’s commission brought together the exhibits shown in the Woman’s Department, raised funds necessary to build the Woman’s Pavilion, suggested the Department of Public Comfort, and originated and carried to completion other useful and practical ideas.  The board of lady managers at the World’s Columbian Exposition achieved a most wonderful success; at the Cotton Centennial in New Orleans the women from each State and Territory did excellent work, as did those at Atlanta, Nashville, Omaha, and Buffalo.  All this had thoroughly prepared the public mind for the cooperation of women in further exposition work.