Our History
Historical Highlights of the Junior League of Nashville
1922
- Under the leadership of Cornelia Keeble Ewing, the Junior League of Nashville is formed and admitted into the Association of Junior Leagues.
1923-24
- The Junior League Home for Crippled Children opens and the Junior League Paper Sale (later the Palm Sunday Paper Sale, now the Friends of Vanderbilt University Children’s Hospital Paper Sale) is initiated to raise funds for the Home.
1925-26
- President Frances Dudley convinces the Junior League Association to hold its national convention in Nashville--the first time ever held outside New York City.
1927
- President Martha Lindsey organizes the first JLN headquarters with a shop and tearoom.
1928-30
- A new JLN Home for Crippled Children is built on White Avenue.
1931
- The Nashville Academy Theatre for children is founded with the assistance of JLN and opened with the production of "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp."
1935-36
- JLN ventures into radio with a children's program and creates the Children's Theatre Board.
1939-40
- JLN participates in the March of Dimes and receives half of the local proceeds. The Home provides a new outpatient clinic.
1941
- The Endowment Trust Fund is established to benefit the crippled child.
1942
- JLN celebrates its 20th anniversary and receives national recognition for raising more annual funds than any other league: $33,490.
1944-45
- JLN provides seed funding for a new mental health organization.
1948-49
- The Home for Crippled Children is expanded to include 25 beds, a schoolroom and therapy rooms.
1950-52
- The JLN Puppeteers make their debut.
1953-55
- William C. Weaver, Jr. and W.H. Criswell give land (now 2202 Crestmoor) for a new headquarters. The Paper Sale breaks records with sales exceeding $134,000.
1956
- The Dede Wallace Center, the first mental health center of its kind, is built on the property of the Junior League Home.
1958-59
- Services at the Home are expanded to serve medically crippled as well as orthopedically crippled children.
1962-63
- The Home for Crippled Children becomes an accredited hospital.
1964-65
- Nashville Seasons cookbook is published. JLN funds music appreciation in the metro schools.
1969
- With the assistance of United Way funding, the JLN helps launch the Volunteer Center to link individuals and groups with volunteer opportunities.
1970
- JLN makes the far-reaching decision to move the Home for Crippled Children to the Regional Medical Center (later Vanderbilt University Children’s Hospital).
1974-75
- The JLN Garden, a terrace play area, is opened at Vanderbilt University Children’s Hospital.
1977-78
- JLN’s second cookbook, Nashville Seasons Encore, is published. The "Ice Cream for Nashville" fundraiser is very successful.
1981
- JLN initiates The Curiosity Corner at the Cumberland Science Museum, a hands-on learning experience.
- JLN founds the Museum Experience Room at the Tennessee State Museum to provide a place for school children to learn about historic life in Middle Tennessee through a hands-on experience.
1982
- JLN sponsors the Artist in Residence program at the Nashville Institute for the Arts.
1983
- In coalition with the National Council of Jewish Women, the JLN funds a pilot program called CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to advocate for the needs and best interests of children who have come to the attention of the court system as a result of abuse or neglect.
1984
- With a grant of over $500,000 the JLN founds the Junior League Children’s Lung Center at Vanderbilt University Children’s Hospital.
1985-86
- The first Designers' Show House is created and nets $120,000.
1987
- JLN resources are used to establish Recovery Residences for chemically dependent teenagers.
- JLN, Nashville General Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center begin what is now called "Our Kids," to provide medical and psychological evaluation for abused children.
- JLN creates the “For Santa’s Sake” program to bring joy to children during the holiday season through gifts and toys.
1990
- WDCN- Public Television and JLN produce "Heart of the Matter," a TV show focusing on community issues and
- JLN members serve as camera operators, producers, interviewers and more. The program enjoys 10 years of airtime.
- JLN and the Salvation Army launch "Kare for Kids" to provide childcare to homeless children.
1991
- The Junior League of Nashville receives more awards than any other league in the entire association at Annual Conference held in May.
1992
- A collaborative effort between health care professionals at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the JLN create the Junior League Center for Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities of Children (now the JLN Family Resource Center) to ensure that all children receive quality health care. This program is funded with $750,000 from the JLN.
- JLN serves as the lead agency to form the Nashville Immunization Coalition to improve the immunization rates of children under 24 months of age and is recognized as one of the premier coalitions in the country.
- JLN is instrumental in beginning the school-based program, “Teen Outreach” with Oasis Center to prevent teen pregnancy and school drop-outs.
1994
- JLN funds the entire cost of a Respite Care Center at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital that enables parents of chronically ill children to enjoy a night or weekend away and is only one of four such programs in the U.S.
1996
- JLN celebrates its 75th anniversary and makes a Tennessee Bicentennial gift of a children’s playground at Elmington Park.
- JLN helps found the Renewal House to create Nashville’s only long-term recovery community for mothers with addictions and their children.
1997
- JLN founds the Nashville Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to promote education and awareness of breast cancer through early detection, screening and research.
1998
- JLN pledges $2,000,000 to support the new freestanding Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.
1999
- Sustainer Martha Ingram is awarded the prestigious Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award at the AJLI Annual Conference.
2000
- The proceeds from the sale of the White Avenue property, $435,000, were granted to The Salvation Army's Red Shield Family Initiative to build the JLN Child Care Center.
- The JLN membership endorses a millennium gift of $750,000, to be combined with a $250,000 gift from the Curb Foundation, for the children’s section of Nashville's new downtown public library building.
2001
- With a lead gift of $125,000 from JLN, Lily’s Garden at Fannie Mae Dees Park, a fully accessible playscape, breaks ground.
2002
- JLN celebrates 80 years of "Breaking New Ground in Community Service" by bringing "Kaleidoscope" to Nashville, an art experience for elementary school children, and by hosting a reunion of the former patients of the JLN Home.
- JLN allocates $500,000 to create the Junior League Eating Disorders Center that will be part of the new Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. This will be the only multidisciplinary center devoted to this condition in the southeastern U.S.
2003
- JLN releases a beautiful new cookbook, Notably Nashville, which celebrates Nashville's history, heritage and culture.
- The JLN Training and Conference Center opens and is available to community partners. JLN hosts the AJLI annual conference in Nashville.
- JLN adopts a new logo in the fall that is consistent with AJLI.
2004
- The new Monroe Carell, Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt opens with the support of JLN volunteers. JLN installs the Textile Art Collection in the Junior League Family Resource Center.
- The 20th Anniversary Decorators’ Show House is held during the holidays.
- JLN’s new website is launched providing greater access to online communications between members and committees.
2005
- JLN’s Training and Conference Center wins the AJLI Award for Vision at Annual Conference.
2006
- Following Hurricane Katrina, JLN restocks the Junior League of New Orleans Thrift Shop, Bloomingdeal's, through an all member clothing drive.
- Sustainer Debi Tate is awarded the prestigious Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award at the AJLI Annual Conference.
2007
- Inaugural 'Tis the Season Holiday Marketplace had net earnings of over $150,000 and nearly 4,000 people from the community attended.
- JLN wins the Junior League Leadership Development Award of $10,000 at AJLI Annual Conference. This award was in recognition of our outstanding training.
2008
- Inaugural JLN Marketing Campaign is launched.
- Home Board Committee gift of $150,000 to Centerstone for Therapeutic Preschool.
- Partnered with Girl Scouts to expand Kids in the Kitchen program, results in serving 200 young girls with an afternoon of healthy body image initiatives.
- Served 17 different Community Outreach Projects.
-New website/database system launched to improve external and internal communication and more efficient recordkeeping.
2009
-Inaugural Twice is Nice Rummage Sale fundraiser raised funds for JLN community projects, while allowing at-risk families to shop and purchase quality items at very low prices.
-Board of Directors adopted a resolution creating the 1922 Society of the Junior League of Nashville, a legacy society recognizing those members who support the Endowment by including the JLN in their estate plans.
-JLN Home Board gave a $150,000 gift to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt for the creation of a new Art Therapy program to benefit patients there.
2010
-Anniversary Community Endowment Fund was fully funded
-CPR Training provided to all Provisional members
-Kids in the Kitchen moved to the Martha O'Bryan Center and provided Kids in the Kitchen programming to children from the Center (most of the children live in James Cayce Housing Project, an area that is the number one food desert in
2011
-Junior League of Nashville celebrates our 90th anniversary with year-long events, culminating in a luncheon March 29, 2012.
-Board votes to move to new springtime fundraiser for spring of 2013.