Help us inspire the next generation of women leaders.
Drawing inspiration from Oakland University’s remarkable matriarch Matilda Dodge Wilson, we are hosting a special Women’s Leadership Luncheon. It is designed to spark ideas and passions about issues that will help shape educational programming for young women – based on what matters most to you.
Join us for this special invitation-only event at Meadow Brook and connect with a diverse group of Michigan women leaders from different backgrounds, industries and points in their careers and lives. The modern world is complex and there are many issues vying for our attention, from women’s rights and lack of representation to mentorship, supporting underrepresented groups, career growth, raising a family and so much more.
What we want to know is: What matters most to you? What do young women need to have the courage, confidence and competency to navigate today’s world?
This event will feature an elegant luncheon, brief presentation by Meadow Brook Curator Madelyn Chrapla, and a guided roundtable discussion. Ideas and content from the brainstorm sessions will be used to develop the curriculum for a special Young Women’s Leadership Day at Meadow Brook in 2026.
Women’s Leadership Luncheon Details
Event Details:
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
RSVPs are required. Reserve your space in the link below.
About Matilda Dodge Wilson
The daughter of a saloon-keeper, Matilda (Rausch) Dodge Wilson (1883-1967) was a self-made, modern woman of the 20th century who lived an all-American success story. She built a legacy as a businesswoman, preservationist, art collector, horsewoman, farmer and philanthropist.
Matilda was a born leader and a powerful advocate for women and women’s causes. Matilda was the first woman:
- Lieutenant Governor in America (1940)
- On the Michigan Board of Agriculture (1931)
- Chairman of a bank (Fidelity Bank & Trust Co., 1931)
- On the board of an automotive company (Graham-Paige, 1931)
She was also a mother who endured great tragedy in her life–first with the sudden death of her first husband John Dodge (of Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company) during the 1920 pandemic, then with the loss of her young daughter Anna Margaret from the measles just before her fifth birthday. Later, she lost her son Daniel Dodge as a young man just after his marriage. She found solace with the warm and kind-hearted Alfred Wilson, who she married in 1925 and with whom she adopted two babies, Richard and Barbara.
Upon her husband John’s death, she became one of the wealthiest women in the world. She used this fortune for good, giving generously throughout her life, serving with more than 40 community service, political and philanthropic organizations, and a passionate advocate for women’s rights.
Her commitment to philanthropy was immense—notably through her 24-year presidency of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Salvation Army, where she established an orphanage, a hospital, and housing for single women. Her involvement in national organizations allowed her to work alongside figures like Mamie Eisenhower to promote conservation, education and horticulture. In 1944, she established the Matilda R. Wilson Foundation Charitable Trust. Matilda was actively engaged with the causes she cared about, personally choosing clothes and gifts and wrapping presents for orphans and children of unwed mothers at Denby House.
Her most lasting accomplishments are the establishment of Meadow Brook Hall, which is today a National Historic Landmark, and the tremendous gift she made to found Oakland University in 1957. Matilda and Alfred’s gift of $2 million, 1,400 acres and the historic estate was the single largest act of personal philanthropy in education at that time. And its impact cannot be overstated. In just over fifty years, Oakland University has had an enormous positive influence throughout the region, providing a world-class education to nearly 140,000 alumni, supporting thousands of jobs and driving an impressive $1 billion economic footprint.
