National History
The Charmettes, Incorporated is a national civic organization that had its beginnings when friends Gwendolyn Baker Rodgers and Frankie Drayton Thomas recognized the need for an organization that would bring together women with similar ideas, principles and backgrounds to organize themselves to utilize their skills, talents and resources for community impact. They invited ten of their friends to join them, and on June 17, 1951, the West Palm Beach Charmettes were created.
Gwendolyn B. Rodgers
Gwendolyn Baker Rodgers was born to Portia and Oscar Baker in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Gwen”, as she was affectionately called, spent most of her life in South Florida. She attended Palm Beach County Schools, graduating from Industrial High School in 1944. She attended Bennett College in North Carolina, later transferring to Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Frankie Drayton Thomas
Frankie Drayton Thomas was born in May 1928 in West Palm Beach, Florida and was a member of the Industrial High Class of 1946. She graduated from Howard University, Washington, D.C. in 1950.
Frankie later earned a master’s degree in public administration from Florida International University. She returned to West Palm Beach and became the first black college-trained social worker hired by the Department of Public Welfare. She enjoyed a career as a social worker in both Florida and Washington.
The work of the initial chapter had immediate impact in the community, and soon new chapters were being developed throughout Florida and beyond. Our chapters are engaged in programs and activities that provide assistance to individuals and families in need in areas including: education, health, scholarship, and community development. In 1981, the organization adopted a national thrust to eradicate cancer in our lifetime. In addition to our cancer awareness and education programs, we have contributed more than $1 million to the Howard University Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., to support cancer research and services. In 2006, the chemotherapy infusion center was named The Charmettes, Incorporated, Gwendolyn B. Rogers Chemotherapy Infusion Suite in honor of the long time generous support the organization has provided to the Howard University Cancer Center.
Today, The Charmettes, Incorporated is a nationally recognized women’s community service organization, known for getting results and making a difference in the lives of families in our communities. With 20 chapters active throughout Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., we are poised for even greater accomplishments in the future. For more information on the national organization, click here.
