Room 341 (Text Only)

Room 341

Shown here in May 1910 sitting in room 341, are Mabel Boardman (left), President of the American Red Cross, and clerks Francis Mulhall (center), and Charles Magee (right).

The earliest famous and significant woman to have an office in the EEOB when it was the State, War & Navy Department Building, was Mabel T. Boardman, who served in room 341 as the President of the American Red Cross from 1905 to 1913. Miss Boardman served as President immediately following the retirement of Clara Barton. Joining Miss Boardman in the office were clerks Charles L. Magee, and Francis J. Mulhall.

Red Cross history reveals that President Theodore Roosevelt signed their Congressional Charter on January 5, 1905, that required the Red Cross to provide services that address "the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same." In response, Secretary of War William Howard Taft provided room 341 to the Red Cross for their use, and allowed them to stay during his tenure as President. It is believed that this was the first high ranking female, within any organization, to have an office in the building.

The Red Cross responded to the following three disasters from their offices in room 341:

The San Francisco earthquake on April 18, 1906 ($3.1 Million in aid was provided which was equal to $596 M in 2004 dollars)
The Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in New York City on March 25, 1911 ($70,000 in aid was provided which is equal to $1.3 M in 2004 dollars)
The sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 14, 1912 ($157,000 in aid was provided which is equal to $2.9 M in 2004 dollars).

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