Under the leadership of Carrie Hervin and Cheryl Scholz MacNaughton as the first chairwomen (1956-1959), the Reed College Women’s Committee (RCWC) was founded in 1956. The group’s philosophy was both to serve women who had good minds, used them and had regard for intellectual concerns and to support Reed College, its goals and students. On the Reed side, several presidents’ wives such as Nancy Bragdon were staunch supporters, and many of the organizational details were handled by special programs staff, most notably Antoinette Menashe for over 20 years (1974-1995) and, more recently, Dawn Thompson. The summer of 2006 marked the final year of the Committee, celebrated in a 50th Anniversary Gala Banquet and library exhibition.

The RCWC sponsored many important programs that impacted the Reed community in very positive ways. Although members did not, as a rule, have any formal affiliation with Reed, monthly meetings were often held at the college and their best-known program, the lecture series, was closely linked. Held on campus, the annual lecture series treated a wide range of topics, most focused on contemporary public and political affairs. The RCWC also organized the Lay Scholar Visiting Lecturer Program and other public forums. Money raised from these lectures funded several scholarship programs, including scholarships for outstanding international students, and, later, for students of special need.