The history of The Links, Incorporated began on November 9, 1946 in Philadelphia when friends Margaret Rosell Hawkins and Sarah Strickland Scott invited seven other women to join them in organizing a new type of inter-city club dedicated to friendship and service. Families and communities on the East Coast soon began benefiting from the organization’s three-fold aim of civic, educational, and cultural activities. Extending their chain of friendship to the South was a natural progression.

Five years after the founding of the national organization, the St. Petersburg – Tampa Chapter was chartered on May 26, 1951, with thirteen women – seven from St. Petersburg and six from Tampa. It was the seventh chapter established in the Southern Area which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and the Bahamas. Due to the growth of the two-city chapter, the two groups decided to part ways. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Chapter officially separated and on June 26, 1987, the Tampa (FL) Chapter received its charter as a local chapter.

Today, the Tampa (FL) Chapter is 58 members strong. For 35 years, its membership has given its time and talents to serve others in the Tampa Bay community through thoughtful and relevant programming that supports the five facets of The Links, Incorporated: Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, and Health and Human Services.

For three decades, the Tampa Chapter has provided college scholarships, focused on women’s health, tackled childhood obesity, supported the arts, and delivered a myriad of other services, including mentoring at-risk students and partnering with local agencies to assist Haitian communities with educational facilities and clean drinking water.