The McLean County Medical Society Auxiliary was formed in 1927 upon the suggestion of the Illinois State Medical Society. McLean County was the first county in Illinois to create an auxiliary. The auxiliary was composed of doctor’s wives and was a chapter of the Illinois State Medical Society Auxiliary, which was created a year after McLean County’s chapter was formed. The first president of the county auxiliary was Mrs. Myra Peairs, wife of Dr. Peairs. The county chapter was disbanded in 1940 but was re-formed in 1949. A word in the title of the chapter was changed from auxiliary to alliance sometime between 1992 and 1995.
The principal project of the county auxiliary was to provide financial aid to deserving and needy students in the health field, primarily for current and prospective nurses. Other pursuits of the county chapter included: establishing a fund for indigent children to pay for required medical needs; making donations to the Crippled Children’s Camp; lobbying state legislators on health-related legislation; helping to train teenage girls to be hospital volunteers; organizing health career fairs; contributing to building funds for local hospitals; providing financial aid to widows and children of deceased doctors; sending drug samples from doctors’ offices to World Medical Relief; involvement with Mobile Meals; acclimating international students at Illinois State University to American culture; and, establishing a number of safety programs. Fundraising for these pursuits included: rummage sales, picnics, members’ dues, dinners, and special events such as tennis and card tournaments.