President's Message
From the Current WCLA President
Welcome to the Wellesley Club of Los Angeles (WCLA) website!
We're glad you're here and hope you'll join the fun, welcoming, and intellectually stimulating Wellesley community in the Los Angeles area! WCLA's purpose is to support Wellesley alums in the LA area to stay connected to each other and the College, and we have served this purpose for 125 years!
On March 28, 1896, a group of Wellesley Alumnae in Southern California came together to create the Southern California Wellesley Club. Mrs. Mary Meridan Coman ‘1884 of Pasadena was the first President while Miss Bertha Lebus ‘1891 of Los Angeles was the Secretary. For almost 53 years, Wellesley Alumnae, who encompassed the entire Southern California region--as north as Santa Barbara and south as San Diego-- met under this name to keep in touch with college life, fundraise for the college, and enjoy the Wellesley community. In 1949, the Southern California Wellesley Club experienced its first split, creating the Wellesley Club of San Diego and the Wellesley Club of Santa Barbara. Less than a decade later, in September 1958, the Southern California Wellesley Club split one last time into the Wellesley Club of Los Angeles and the Wellesley Club of Pasadena. While the original club no longer exists, its legacy is carried on in these four clubs.
The WCLA serves over 1,100 alumnae spanning four counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and Kern.
Los Angeles area alums reflect the growth, creativity, and diversity of the sprawling metropolis known for its Mediterranean climate and famous for being the home of Hollywood. Our WCLA alums include business, technical, academic, creative, entrepreneurial, philanthropic, civic, and public service leaders/contributors across diverse industries such as law, medicine, finance, entertainment, technology, international trade, education, fashion and the arts, among others.
We share a deep appreciation for the significant role Wellesley's mission has played in our lives to make a difference in the world through meaningful personal and professional contributions, through pragmatic leadership and through a spirit of service, Non Ministrari sed Ministrare.
We invite alums, students, and parents to participate in the LA Wellesley network through a variety of events each year including faculty lectures, career panels, museum visits, movie screenings, happy hours, young alum programs, and our annual holiday party.
If you haven't already, please make sure to update your email address with the College to receive notices of upcoming WCLA events throughout the year. If you are interested in volunteering or have any ideas you'd like to share, please let us know by emailing us at WCLosAngeles@alum.wellesley.edu.
We hope to see you at an upcoming event this year where you can reconnect and enjoy sharing interests and exchanging ideas with our enriching Wellesley community. Please join us!