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Dr. Alfred Durham, a member of Kiwanis,
founded the Altrusa Institute in Nashville in 1917.
He organized clubs in Nashville, Louisville, and Dayton
. He moved to Indianapolis where he met Mamie L. Bass.
Mamie L. Bass felt that Altrusa could
serve a higher purpose. In June 1918, when Altrusa held
its first convention in Indianapolis, Mamie L. Bass’s
vision became reality. The Altrusa Institute became
a classified service organization for women. Mamie L.
Bass created the Principles of Altrusa which defined
Altrusa as "a builder of women" and an organization
based on merit and accomplishment.
Altrusa became international in 1935
when Altrusa organized its first club in Mexico. Today
Altrusa is in 19 countries and territories.
In the sixties, Altrusans began to
look to America’s youth as the future of Altrusa. In
1966, ASTRA was established. ASTRA service clubs target
young women ages 13 to 21 and encourage them in their
educations, professions and service to society.
Altrusa is, first and foremost, a
community based, grassroots organization that seeks
to solve the problems in our back yards. Busy Altrusans
raise money for local charities, volunteer at battered
women’s shelters, help runaway teens, build houses for
Habitat for Humanity, and so much more. Inspired by
Thoreau, Mamie L. Bass put it best, "it is not
enough to be good; Altrusans must be good for something."
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