The war ended and an elaborate and patriotic Victory Benefit dance was held at the William Penn Hotel. The hotel went on strike so the event had to be moved to the University Club. The club’s dinner dances would once again become an annual event. Eventually in the 1970’s, these dinner dances would evolve into the Christmas Ball.

Through the years, many of our dinner dances would be held at the William Penn Hotel, as shown in the pictures on this page, including our 75th Anniversary Celebration “The Cradle will Rock, A Platinum Affair".

A new Infant Research Department was established at the Elisabeth Steel Magee Hospital. Members saw this as an opportunity and decided to direct all future fund-raising efforts to infant research at Elisabeth Steel Magee Hospital. This began their 77-year affiliation with Magee.

December 7, 1941; Pearl Harbor was bombed and life would change for everyone. Because of gas and food rationing, entertaining at each other’s homes was not possible. As World War II loomed, social events were no longer scheduled and The Club canceled all future dances for the duration of the war. Instead they held a series of matinée theatre performances, continuing to raise funds for infant research and needs.

A certain prestige was associated with The Club and consequently a long waiting list of interested women was formed. Lillian Reese realized these eager women could become potential donors and The Club decided to expand its fund-raising efforts. The first major benefit was a grand ball held at the Pittsburgh Field Club on May 4, 1940. The cost was $6.00 a couple - hoping to raise$600. They raised $1,001.00. These dinner and dancing ‘balls’ would become a tradition.

The 25 Club began with a meeting of eight women in the home of Lillian Reese on September 21, 1939.  Eight women, all of whom usually gathered for afternoon tea and a game of bridge, would catch Lillian Reese’s infectious enthusiasm about supporting infant care. This group grew quickly and on the afternoon of September 21, 1939, Mrs.Reese gathered together twenty-four prominent women to organize a new charity club.

​She asked them to listen to a presentation by researcher Dr. Murray Ferderber. The purpose of his presentation was to ask this newly formed club to subsidize an attending physician in the fever-therapy department of Children’s Hospital.

​This new charity club derived its name, The Twenty-Five Club, from the 24 women, with Lillian being the 25th; who came to Lillian’s apartment that day to hear Dr. Ferderber’s presentation.

​The Club formed a strictly limited membership of twenty-five women, who were required to work on all the designated special projects. At their monthly bridge parties, each member would make a contribution that would be donated to an attending physician in the Fever Therapy Department of Children’s Hospital.

​Their first project was to pay the salaries for special doctors as well as buy the necessary equipment needed to study RH Blood Factor. For the next few years, they financed different studies including infant brain structure, the thyroid, and the stomach and intestinal track.