Air Force Officers’ Spouses’ Club History & Traditions
The Air Force Officers’ Wives’ Club, as it was formerly known, was constituted on May 25, 1923, making it the first Air Force club of its kind. Mrs. Mason Patrick, wife of the Chief of the Air Service invited fifty “flapper” wives of young pilots into her home and they organized “The Air Service Club.” Their Board of Governors consisted of three elected officers and three committee chairman; membership, hospital and entertainment.
They continued to act as a social club until 1940, when under the leadership of Mrs. “Hap” Arnold, they decided to invest more time volunteering to meet the needs of the “Air Corps Aid Society.” The club’s name was eventually changed to the Air Force Officers’ Wives’ Club of Washington, D.C.
The AFOWC’s commitment to enrich the lives of the entire Air Force Family is seen in draft proposals which helped establish Air Force Village, Family Services and the Arlington Committee.
