National Society Daughters of the American Colonists
NSDAC National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. | |
| Abbreviation | NSDAC |
|---|---|
| Founded | December 9, 1920 |
| Founder | Sarah Mitchell Guernsey |
| Founded at | Planters Hotel St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Type | Patriotic organization |
| 52-0744866 | |
| Focus | Historic preservation, education, patriotism |
| Headquarters | 2205 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°54′44″N 77°02′57″W / 38.91222°N 77.04925°W |
Region served | United States |
Official language | English |
| Mary Raye Kiser Casper | |
Publication | The Colonial Courier |
| Affiliations | National Society Sons of the American Colonists |
| Website | nsdac.org |
The National Society Daughters of the American Colonists (NSDAC), commonly known as the Daughters of the American Colonists, is an American patriotic organization and lineage society for women headquartered in Washington, D.C. Members must be lineal descendants of a person who rendered civil or military service in one of the Thirteen Colonies prior to July 4, 1776.
History
The Daughters of the American Colonists was founded on December 9, 1920 by Sarah Elizabeth Mitchell Guernsey at the Planters Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri and was federally chartered in 1984.[1] The founding members, along with Guernsey, were Ida M. Schaaf, Emma Wagoner Long, Lavinia Crow Reilly, Harriet Holbrook Norris, Margaret Blaine Campbell, Euphrates S. Pearson, Nola P. Hatch, Jennie Bowles Thomas, Emily Willet Davis, Stella Hereford Ball, Dora Eddleman Simmons, and Minnie Walker Wilcox.[1] The society's object is to research and preserve the history and deeds of American colonists and commemorate deeds of colonial interest.[2] The organization is headquartered at 2205 Massachusetts Avenue on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C.
There are various chapters of the Daughters of the American Colonists and over 196 historical markers have been erected by the society, including the Original Patentees Memorial at President's Park South which was erected in 1936.[3][4] In 1940, the Arizona Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists was organized which in 1991 had chapters in three cities.[5]
The organization reported revenue of $298,332 and expenses of $224,973, with net assets of $2,377,379, in 2024.[6][7]
Membership
Membership is open to American women who are at least 18 years old and are lineal descendants of someone who rendered civil or military service in one of the Thirteen Colonies before July 4, 1776.[8]
Notable members
- Rachel Darden Davis, physician and politician
- Denise Doring VanBuren, lineage society leader
- Ruth Coltrane Cannon, preservationist, historian, and philanthropist
- Margaret Wootten Collier, writer
- Sarah Elizabeth Mitchell Guernsey, educator and lineage society leader
- Kitty O'Brien Joyner, electrical engineer
- Almyra Maynard Watson, officer in the United States Army Nurse Corps
- Jeanne Fox Weinmann, lineage society leader
- Edith Wire, composer and pianist
- Grace Steele Woodward, writer and historian
- Josephine McDonald Yarbrough, writer
- Lynn Forney Young, civic leader and clubwoman
See also
References
- ^ a b "Founders Plaque". nsdac.org. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ National Society, Daughters of the American Colonists: Thirty-fifth Yearbook, 1963. Washington, D.C.: National Society, Daughters of the American Colonists. 1963. p. 2 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Daughters of the American Colonists Historical Markers". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ^ "Original Patentees Memorial Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ^ "Daughters of the American Colonists Records, 1928-1991" (PDF). arizonahistoricalsociety.org (pdf). Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ^ Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, Brandon (May 9, 2013). "National Society Daughters Of The American Colonists - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Charity Navigator - Rating for National Society Daughters of the American Colonists". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ "Welcome". National Society, Daughters of the American Colonists. Retrieved May 10, 2024.