History

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) originally began as women in construction of Fort Worth, Texas. It was founded in 1953 by 16 women working in the construction industry. Knowing that women represented only a small fraction of the construction industry, the founders organized NAWIC to create a support network.

The Columbus chapter of NAWIC was chartered in April of 1964. The chapter was established by Dorothy Combs, who discovered NAWIC while she was reading the September 1963 issue of Engineering News Record. There was an article entitled “Women Can Wear Hard Hats, Too”, and Dorothy contacted the national president at the time, Lettie Nixon of Atlanta Georgia. After receiving more information about starting a local chapter, Dorothy met with Millie Bolen to seek her help with chartering the Columbus chapter. The first meeting was held in February of 1964, with 41 women in attendance at the Columbus Athletic Club. A motion to organize was made and carried unanimously.

Today, we are an organization of women employed in many facets of the construction industry. We have participated in and attend numerous functions on the national, regional, and local levels. Our members have served on national, regional, and local levels. We have sponsored various industry seminars on topics including blueprint reading, prevailing wage requirements, safety, and landscape design. We gather on the third Wednesday of each month and enjoy listening to speakers and programs to improve our careers and our personal lives.