National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America

The National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America (often abbreviated as NSDFPA) is a lineage society for women who directly descend from an American colonist who arrived in the colonies between May 13, 1607, and May 13, 1687, and who directly descend from a patriot of the American Revolution.

National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America

Abbreviation	NSDFPA
Established	June 7, 1898; 127 years ago (1898-06-07)
Founders	Eugenia Washington Mrs. Henry V. Boynton Mrs. William L. Mason
Type	lineage society
Website	nationalsocietydfpa.com[1]

History

The National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America was founded on June 7, 1898, by Eugenia Washington, a great-grandniece of George Washington who previously co-founded the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1890, Mrs. Henry V. Boynton, and Mrs. William L. Mason.^[2][3] Washington established the lineage society as a means to preserve Colonial American history, foster patriotism, and encourage appreciation for American history.^[4] She wanted to avoid "bickering" among a large number of members, which she experienced in the Daughters of the American Revolution, and decided that this national society would "remain small and cordial" by excluding membership only to women who were direct descendants of a colonist who arrived in America between May 13, 1607, and May 13, 1687, and that they also meet the membership qualifications for the Daughters of the American Revolution.^[4][5]

Up until 1975, the society published thirty-four volumes of lineage records of its members, which were made availablle at many libraries.^[5] In 1975, the national society consolidated all records into one volume and published an index to its lineage records.^[5]

Washington intended for the society to not surpass 300 members but, by the 1980s, there were over 2,800 members.^[4]

Notable members

• Margaret Ann Scruggs Carruth (1892–1988), etcher, printmaker, illustrator and educator
• Mildred Adams Fenton (1899–1995), paleontologist and geologist
• Grace Gemberling (1903–1997), painter
• Sallie Foster Harshbarger (1874–1958), lineage society leader
• Sarah Corbin Robert (1886–1972), lineage society leader
• Betty Newkirk Seimes, lineage society leader
• Eugenia Washington (1838–1900), historian, civil servant, and lineage society leader
• Jeanne Fox Weinmann (1874–1962), lineage society leader
• Edith Wire (1899–1973), composer and pianist
• Kathryn Slaughter Wittichen (1896–1985), clubwoman and lineage society leader
• Merry Ann Thompson Wright (1943–2022), lineage society leader