Women's Relief Corps delegate badge. Has "Iowa W. R. C." in black letters at the top while in the center is a black and white photograph of "Georgia Wade McClellan". "COLUMBUS, OHIO September 7-13, 1919", is below the photo, also in black lettering. This badge is for the Iowa Woman's Relief Corps (W. R. C.), a club that originated in 1879 as a secret society of women in Massachusetts that were going to remain loyal to the North during and after the Civil War. There were only two qualifications to join the corps: ability to prove loyalty to the north, and to be a woman. It did not matter where the members lived because there were several different posts across the United States. It also did not matter the color of her skin, many posts included African American Women as members. In 1883, the W. R. C. was formally recognized and accepted as a legit society.
The photo on this badge depicts a woman named Georgia Wade McClellan. Georgeanna "Georgia" was a young mother when her family moved to Iowa to get a fresh start away from the war and she was appointed President of the Iowa Woman's Relief Corps. This badge is from the 37th National Convention of the Woman's Relief Corp that took place in Columbus, Ohio.
