Marie Waldt Riddell, (Mrs. W. O.) President 1911-1913

Marie Riddell was born 1862 in Hamburg, Germany.  She was sent to the NY at the age of 18 by the Froeble Institute of Hamburg to assist in establishing the principle of the kindergarten in New York City.  Later, she established the first kindergarten in Lincoln, Nebraska.  There she met her future husband, Mr. W. O. Riddell.

They married in 1885 and moved to Woodbine, Iowa where they established the Woodbine School, a preparatory school for teachers.  In 1896 they came to Des Moines where Mr. Riddell served as Principal of the old West High School until 1901 when he was named Superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools.  Mrs. Riddell became head of the Foreign Language Department of Drake University where she taught French and German.

Mrs. Riddell joined Des Moines Women's Club in 1905 and served on the board.  In 1910 she was elected first vice president, and went on to serve a two-year term as president from 1911 to 1913.

As a fundraiser for the club, Mrs. Riddell taught German to members for a fee of twenty-five cents per member.  The first class, called the Damenkraus Club, presented the Women's Club a marble bust of Dante by the sculptor, Romanelli and the Club and Mrs. Riddell presented the painting by Neil Rau, the "Tyrolean Girl."

In her first presidential address she pledged her time and best energies to continue the work already begun: to stimulate interest in art and work towards securing a larger auditorium for housing the club.  It was evident that the Art Gallery was too small to accommodate the membership and the many guests. 

Riddell established two new committees, the Art Advisory Committee and the Hospitality Committee.  The new Art Advisory Committee sponsored a Loan Art Exhibit of fifty pictures, all from Des Moines homes.

At this time most open meetings were held outside of Hoyt Sherman Place, so the demand for a larger auditorium was evident.  Mrs. Riddell began to sell Debenture Bonds to raise money for the proposed addition to the club house.

One of the outstanding events of Mrs. Riddell's administration was the offer from Major and Mrs. Byers, of their famous art collection and antique furniture as a gift to the club.  Major and Mrs. Byers were close personal friends of Mrs. Riddell.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Riddell were active in charitable and social welfare work.  She was an early promoter and organizer of Des Moines' first "Boys Club."

In 1913 the Riddells moved to East Chatham, New York.  Mr. Riddell died in 1937, and Mrs. Riddell returned to Des Moines and the Club after an absence of twenty-five years to find her dreams of the auditorium and the Byers room completed.

Information taken from an anonymous biographical sketch from the DMWC Archives