The organization on a national level first gathered in 1881 by Marion Talbot, Ellen Swallow Richards, and fifteen others concerning greater educational support for women. It officially was founded in 1882 as the American Collegiate Association/Alumnae (ACA) with fifty initial members. State locations started in Washington, D.C., New York, California, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The ACA aimed to foster opportunities and equity for women in higher education and career pursuits. Early projects included fellowships and research reports to combat gender myths and disparities. Upon merging with the Southern Association of College Women in 1921, it became the American Association of University Women (AAUW). By 1931, local branches expanded to 521 locations and nearly 37,000 members. The association in 2025 advocates for equity for all and supporting women and girls through education, financial support, and research. As of early 2025, Minnesota holds twenty-seven local branches.

The Mankato branch of the AAUW operated for over a century. In 1918, Josephine Bowden—the first president of the Mankato branch—conferred with thirty-two formally educated women about starting a branch of ACA. The opening meeting was a dinner at the Episcopal Guide Hall on May 13, 1918. Meetings were originally held in the Dean’s Office every second Monday at 7:30 P.M. By 1922, it became a state branch. By 1927, the Josephine Bowden Student Fund was established in commemoration of her and to assist women students. Mankato’s AAUW goal centered on civic responsibility. This included war relief and parental assistance, citizenship classes, health and work labor, advocacy, and art support.