RED HAT SOCIETY DONATES ORIGINAL RED HAT TO THE SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
Friday, August 13th 2010 @ 9:38 PM
Fullerton, CA -- The Red Hat Society®, one of the world’s premier women’s organizations, has donated the original Red Hat to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
The donation includes a bright red fedora, the hat that initiated the founding of the Red Hat Society®, and a purple-feather boa. Both accessories were owned by Sue Ellen Cooper, the founder and “Exalted Queen Mother” of the society; she donated them to the organization in 2002. With this donation, the Society takes its royal place among legendary pieces being preserved at the Smithsonian for generations to come.
The Red Hat Society® began with the gift of a red hat and has grown into a universal symbol for women around the globe. Although the Society’s original focus was on women of 50 or older, The Red Hat Society® now encourages women of any age to join (those under 50 wear pink hats until they “reduate”), emphasizing the value of cross-generational friendships and mentoring. The social message behind the first red hat has resonated with millions of women around the globe, regardless of race, creed, occupation, age, or socio-economic status.
By word of mouth, the purest form of viral marketing, The Red Hat Society® grew from two chapters in 1999 to over 40,000 chapters worldwide within five years. The Society has been the focus of major publications, ten books (one of which reached the New York Times Best Seller list), television and other media, in addition to having The Red Hat Society brand appear on a myriad of products. Pop Culture status was truly achieved when The Red Hat Society® was the focus of an episode of the longest running animated series, THE SIMPSONS, in which Marge Simpson joins a local Red Hat Society® chapter. The Society received their most recent nod when actor/comedian Damon Wayans released his first novel, Red Hats, which hit bookstores May 9, 2010.
Founder, Sue Ellen Cooper states, “I am honored and delighted that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History sees the value in preserving our red hat. To so many women around the world, this hat symbolizes a sisterhood of acceptance and a freedom to fulfill lifelong dreams. With this hat being a permanent piece of our nation’s rich history, we are assured that women for generations to come will have an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of red hatting like their sisters before them.”
For more information on the Red Hat Society®, visit www.redhatsociety.com
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