Friends of The Mark Twain House & Museum

Officers 2009 - 2010

Kelly Hayes
Shepherd Holcomb
Margaret Moon

For information on membership, please call Wendy Wolcott at 860-216-0806 or Julie Zyla at 860-232-3265

The Friends of The Mark Twain House & Museum is the volunteer organization that has supported the museum for more than 50 years.

The Friends began as the Women's Committee in 1952 when, according to then-President Walter K. Schwinn, the Board of Trustees sought to add to its membership "women with the time for and interest in planning benefits, cataloguing acquisitions and organizing membership campaigns."

In 1954, when the first major fund raiser (a reading from Twain's works by Governor John Lodge) was planned for Mark Twain's birthday, it was women (both trustees and volunteers) who developed the mailing list of 2,000 names, gave dinner parties in their homes, and scrubbed the floors of the house to impress first-time visitors.

A year after its formation, the Women's Committee was functioning in many responsible jobs: guiding tours, helping care for the collections, decorating the house for Christmas, and planning a benefit fashion show. Formal meetings of the whole Committee were only periodic; but the minutes portray a growing and enthusiastic membership that gave countless hours in a variety of supporting roles for the Mark Twain Memorial.

When the Trustees announced a campaign to raise $85,000 to complete restoration of the House in time for its centennial in 1974, the Women's Committee enthusiastically pledged to contribute $10,000. Hard work and a lot of fun went into achieving the goal by organizing benefit film performances, another fashion show, an advertising supplement, and other special activities. In its first decade, the Committee contributed over $19,000 to the House. Most of the funds went to the operating budget of The House, but some were designated for special projects, such as "Twain-related items to sell in the Visitor's Center."

In 1993 the Women's Committee celebrated its 21st anniversary. The name was changed to Friends of The Mark Twain Memorial, reflecting a membership that now included men. From 40 initial members, the membership has grown to over 200 diversified members. In 2003 the organization adopted the name Friends of The Mark Twain House & Museum.

When in 1999 The Mark Twain House started a capital campaign to raise funds for a new Museum Center, the Friends voted to support this undertaking by contributing $30,000. The center opened in 2003.

The Holiday House Tour is sponsored by Friends of the Mark Twain House & Museum and features Mark Twain's own 19-room mansion as well as several impressive private homes in the area. This yearly event has proven to be a major fundraiser for the Friends and The Mark Twain House & Museum.

It is astonishing to realize that since 1967 the Friends, in their fundraising efforts with the Holiday Galas and Holiday House Tours, have contributed in the neighborhood of $1,000,000 to the operating funds of The Mark Twain House & Museum.