Organization History

The Zonta Club of Anchorage, Alaska was chartered on August 29, 1961 with 51 members. The charter number is 488. Of the original 51 members, only one is still an active member: Virginia Augestad.

Early Project – Anchorage’s First Airport Information Booth

On May 28, 1962, General Jimmy Doolittle was on hand to sign the book for the opening of the Anchorage International Airport Information Booth. Avis Rent-a-Car donated space to the Zonta Club of Anchorage for the booth in the lounge of the terminal building, where it was easily accessible to all inbound and through flights. Zonta members familiarized themselves with tourist and housing information to air tourists and new arrivals. A file of linguists was established for travelers not familiar with the English language. Anchorage Chamber of Commerce members, agencies and local clubs donated strollers, buggies, cribs, jumpers, toys, childrens’ books and disposable diapers for the comfort of travelers. The booth was enlarged, moved and eventually there were two booths. Zontians spent many hours volunteering at the Information Booth. Now the booth is staffed by volunteers from the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau.

First Fundraiser

Our first fundraiser consisted of selling raffle tickets for one of Fred Machetanz’ paintings, done especially for the club. The money went to a scholarship for training practical nurses called “The Dorothy Thompson Scholarship” in memory of a member. The first fund raiser earned over $400.

Image: Virginia Augestad, a charter member with a guest at the 50th Anniversary Party in 2011.

[PDF Download: History of the ZCA]

The Newsletter

The Oonipak was initiated in December 1962. Harriet Penwell wrote to a senator in our legislature and a Catholic priest from New Hampshire for an Eskimo word meaning “news” – hence our bulletin has a name which means “carrier of messages”.

Early Members & the First Nun to Become a Zontian

August 13, 1962 Sister Elizabeth Clair, Administrator of Providence Hospital, Anchorage, became the first Catholic Sister to become a Zontian. She played an important role in Zonta during her time in Anchorage.

The Things You Remember

During a social meeting on May 23, 1963, held in an upstairs room of the First Federal Savings and Loan Bank, the caretaker closed and locked the doors and most of the windows. When the attendees were ready to leave they found themselves trapped inside. Three members managed to work themselves through a small opening in one of the windows. Then, after they discovered that help could not be found to open the door, they came around and to the windowsill, then down to the alley. We believe that this was the first time a Zonta Club was locked inside a bank at night.

In 1968, we held the first annual banquet with the three other women’s service clubs in Anchorage: Altrusa, Quota and Soroptimist.

ZERO (Zonta Emergency Relief Operation)

March 27, 1964 – CRUNCH!!!!! Anchorage, Seward, Kodiak, Valdez and other Alaskan communities experienced the biggest disaster in the history of our state – the Good Friday Earthquake and tsunami destruction. J. Marie Pierce, President of Zonta International, spread the word to all the clubs asking them to aid Anchorage families. Donations of money, material, clothing, medicines and food arrived daily from around the world and continued through the fall. Six hundred pounds of nails were sent to us along with the Northwest Lumberman’s Association donation to Anchorage. We had a little trouble storing the nails. The final destination of the nails was Afognak Island, near Kodiak, to aid in the restoration of the buildings that were swept away in the tsunami.