In response to a request from National Office stating that St. Louis had the necessary population requirement for a second chapter, the St. Louis (MO) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated called together twenty-seven of their friends, on April 29, 1990 at the home of Link Billie Jean Randolph to establish another chapter of The Links in St. Louis, Missouri. As a result of this initial meeting, on May 6, 1990 at the Phyllis Wheatley Branch YWCA, the Archway Club was organized by the St. Louis (MO) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
The Archway (MO) Chapter was chartered on August 14, 1993 as the 248th chapter of The Links, Incorporated under the leadership of Link Marion Riddley Sweeney, Chapter Establishment Officer and Link Marion S. Sutherland, National President of The Links, Incorporated. The charter members were President, Lena McGlone Rush, Vice President, Lottie Holland Wade, Recording Secretary, Irene Forbes Schell, Corresponding Secretary, Yvonne Taylor Chatwell, Financial Secretary, Kathleen Ingram Shaw, Treasurer, Margaret Ann Berry, Parliamentarian, Martha Levingston Perine, Teri Denise Bascom, Huldah C. Blamoville, Shirley Lyons Clark, Cynthia Dugas-Elliott, Nancy Garrett Fields, Hardina Wilson Graham, Barbara Harris Hancock, Lisa Diane Hollingsworth, Deborah Parker-Johnson, Sandra Logan McClung, Patricia Ballard McCoy, Yvonne Smith, Shelia Batey Williams, and Cheryl Denise Cole Young.
Past Presidents: L to R Patricia Smith Sanders, Ruby Harriman Christian, Cheryl Denise Cole Young, Susan E. Buford
Past and Most Recent Alumna July 2019: Seated L to R: Huldah C. Blamoville MD, Deborah Parker Johnson, Sandra Logan McClung.
Standing L to R: Amanda Luckett Murphy, Ph. D., Ruby Harriman Christian, Beth Ann Carter Thompson, Cheryl Denise Cole Young, Kathleen I. Shaw
In June of 1996, the Archway (MO) Chapter held its first induction ceremony, increasing their membership to 31.
From 1993 until present, under the leaderships of Links Lena McGlone Rush, Irene Forbes Schell, Margaret Ann Berry, Gloria Waters White, Brenda Stith Loftin, Patricia Smith Sanders, Ruby Christian- Harriman, Cheryl Denise Cole Young, Susan E. Buford, E. Denise Smith and currently Lauren Ming, the organization has gathered momentum, increasing its membership, continuously redefined its purposes, sharpened its focus, and expanded its program dimensions in order to make the Name “Links” not only a chain of friendship, but also a chain of purposeful service.