The mission of the Federation of Houston Professional Women (FHPW) is to unite our Member Organizations to promote a place of influence and power. The importance of women joining professional organizations began taking root in Houston in the early 1980's. Two separate but parallel efforts began evolving within the American Business Women's Association (ABWA) and women's scientific and medical groups.

Kay Allen, a field representative for the national office of ABWA, felt that its numerous Houston chapters could exercise greater impact if they worked together. Ms. Allen sponsored community meetings as a forum to exchange information and ideas. Dr. Bette Ann Stead, Professor & Director, Institute for Business, Ethics, and Public Issues, C. T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston, had been teaching a "Women in Administration" course since 1975. In those days women were not allowed to join the all-male service organizations whose members were leaders in the business community. Dr. Stead realized that women were being denied access to both necessary business information and valuable contacts. Rosie Walker, owner/publisher of the "Houston Working Woman's Journal", a member of ABWA, Downtown Chapter, and a role model of a woman entrepreneur, had been a class speaker for Dr. Stead. Dr. Stead expressed her concerns to Ms. Walker and suggested an umbrella group representing women?s professional organizations. Meeting quarterly, this group could be large enough to both attract speakers of national and international stature and provide the kind of influence and presence that Houston professional women needed. Ms. Walker offered to develop a list of prospective participants and provide a forum so that Dr. Stead could make a presentation to representatives from women?s professional organizations.

Dr. Stead drafted a Constitution and bylaws as a model for such an organization and presented it on March 31, 1981 at a meeting with representatives of more than twenty organizations from diverse business and professional disciplines. An organizing committee was formed to work on the draft, and the Federation of Houston Professional Women was officially founded in September 1981. Officers were elected to serve through the 1982 calendar year. Ten member organizations joined as charter members. The Federation, with fourteen member organizations, was chartered by the State of Texas in May 1982 as a non-profit, non-partisan business league.

Today, over 20 years later, FHPW continues to pursue its vision of empowering member organizations to achieve their goals by addressing general concerns of women in civic, community, personal and professional pursuits. The goal of helping the public and the member organizations recognize the power, capabilities and potential of Houston professional women has strong roots in the diversity of the over 50 Member Organizations with general membership over 4,000 individual professionals. Each Member Organization, although diverse in style and structure, has professional or business women members focusing on education, networking, specific careers or community service. Their designated meeting locations span the Greater Houston Metropolitan area. While some of the organizations are based in Houston, others represent surrounding areas from Clear Lake to Tomball, from CyFair to Fort Bend County. The Federation is presently the fifth largest professional organization in Houston. It is the only one of its kind, yet another proof of the adage "only in Houston".

The alliance of diverse organizational structures eliminates professional isolation, and extends the scope and opportunities of the Member Organizations. FHPW sponsored trips provide opportunities to travel, network and learn in the company of other professional women. Volunteer participation on Federation committees allows individuals of Member Organizations to work one on one with a broad spectrum of working women. Quarterly meetings, open to the public, attract prominent speakers, and provide a unique networking opportunity.

Among accomplishments to date are: on-going support of civic endeavors; co-sponsorship of events with the Houston Community College System, the University of Houston, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and The Mayor?s Summit on Women ? Women United: Celebrating the Past, Building the Future; participation in the 1990 Economic Summit host committee; establishment of a non-profit educational foundation; the FHPW web site, which promotes and acknowledges Federation activities and those of its Member Organizations; and, perhaps most importantly, an annual award gala to honor outstanding achievements of our member organizations Women of Excellence.

Among the current on-going accomplishments is an endowed scholarship at the University of Houston, School of Business Administration, supported by the Federation. This endowment is in addition to the annual scholarships given by the FHPW Educational Foundation. The FHPW Educational Foundation also sponsors the annual Awards Gala. The Awards Gala allows the member organizations to honor and showcase an outstanding professional as their "Woman of Excellence". The annual Woman of Excellence gala event draws more than 800 attendees. The Honorees epitomize dedication to their fields of endeavor. They speak with varied voices of experience. They are leaders in the community, in their specific fields, and in the many volunteer arenas in Houston. Their expertise affords a wealth of mentoring skills, and they enrich the lives of all that call Houston home.

Today, as in 1981, Federation women are aware that they are a part of something rare, precious and powerful. "Houston women are different. They know who they are and where they are going, and they are not afraid to help one another." -- Kay Allen, 1916-1991.