Soroptimist International was founded in 1921 in Oakland, California, by a pioneering group of women led by the Founding President Violet Richardson Ward. In the first constitution, the purpose of the organization was “to foster the spirit of service as the basis of all worthy enterprises and to increase the efficiency by its members in the pursuit of their occupations by broadening their interest in the social, business, and civic affairs of the community through an association of women representing different occupations.”

That first club met weekly, debating service projects and hearing speakers on various worldwide issues that would broaden members’ horizons. Their first project was to “Save the Redwoods” – the great ancient trees which were being cut down for timber. They lobbied the California State legislature, took on powerful lumber companies, and won the support of the public. The result: a major portion of the forest was set aside as protected land and still exists today.

Dr. Suzanne Noël, a pioneering esthetic surgeon from Paris, France, turned personal tragedy—the loss of her only daughter to the Spanish Flu and her husband to drowning—into purpose. She became a devoted advocate for women’s rights and went on to establish the first European chapter of Soroptimist International.

In 1924 Dr. Noël founded the Paris chapter of Soroptimist International, the first European chapter. Dr. Noël used her worldwide lecturing series to disseminate the Soroptimist concept, prompting the establishment of clubs all over Europe. She later became the first President of the European Federation. She promoted many European Clubs in China and Japan and was highly decorated for her devotion to society and her contributions to the 1914–1918 war. In 1928 she received the French Medal of Honor.