209. Mary Hall and the Good Will Club

  In this episode, Natalie Belanger of the CT Museum of Culture and History tells the story of the Good Will Club, the forerunner of the youth club movement that got its start in Hartford. But the story of the club can't be separated from that of its founder, a woman who's an inductee of the CT Women's Hall of Fame for her barrier-breaking work in the legal field.   There are lots of ways to learn more about the history of the Good Will Club and about Mary Hall. Here's a partial list of sources consulted for this episode:   Elizabeth Warren, "Mary Hall: Breaking the Legal Barrier," CT Explored, Spring 2010   Kevin Flood, "The Boys and Girls Clubs of America Started Here," CT Explored, Fall 2019   Mary Hall's Entry in the CT Women's Hall of Fame   Judge A. Susan Peck, "Upcoming Survey on the Status of Connecticut Women in the Legal Profession," CT Lawyer, September/October 2024   Some other  sources you might like to check out: You can look at digitized issues of the Good Will Star, the newspaper published by the boys of the Good Will Club, held at the Connecticut State Library; see a timeline of the history of the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford;  and visit the Connecticut Museum's Waterman Research Center to see published histories of the Good Will/Boys and Girls Club as well as Mary Hall's scrapbook.   This episode received support from the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, Hartford, Connecticut.   image: Mary Hall and Good Will Club Boys, Mary Hall Scrapbook, MS 78249 CMCH Collection.   -------------------------------------------------- Like Grating the Nutmeg? Want to support it? Make a donation! 100% of the funds from your donation go directly to the production and promotion of the show. Go to ctexplored.org to send your donation now. Get your copy of Connecticut Explored magazine, in print and digital editions now so you don't miss the Summer issue! Each issue offers a photo essay, feature-length stories you can sink your teeth into, and shorter stories you can breeze through—plus lots of beautiful, large historic images. We include oral histories, stunning museum objects, must-see destinations, and more. From Colonial history to pop-culture, you'll find it all in this magazine. Subscribe to get your copy today in your mailbox or your inbox at ctexplored.org This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Natalie Belanger, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History,  and engineered by Patrick O'Sullivan at www.highwattagemedia.com/   Follow GTN on our socials - Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.   Follow executive producer Mary Donohue on Facebook and Instagram at WeHa Sidewalk Historian. Join us in two weeks for our next episode of Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history. Thank you for listening!