Administrative/Biographical History
The Gen-E-Dek Club was established in 1949 with a membership consisting solely of DeKalb General Electric Company women employees. The first officers were Mary Smith as president, Dorothy Harmes as vice president, Thelma Murphy as treasurer, and Maxine Thuestad as secretary.
The purpose of the club was to promote recreational, social and educational activities among the members as well as other General Electric Women's Clubs at other locations; to foster the spirit of friendly service among all female employees of the General Electric Company in DeKalb, Illinois; and to participate in charitable activities in the community. The club's motto was, "Building a Ladder on Which to Climb".
The organization disbanded in 1992 after a vote by the membership. The Club's Certificate of Deposit (CD) matured the same year they disbanded. The membership agreed that the money from the CD would be distributed to worthy DeKalb-Sycamore charities.