When the Sons of the Revolutionary Sires was organized on July 4, 1876 in San Francisco, it authorized formation of a ladies auxiliary. In 1889, the Sons of the Revolutionary Sires was reorganized and renamed the Sons of the American Revolution, but there was no mention of a ladies auxiliary in its new bylaws.

Almost 95 years later, on April 6, 1983, then California Society, SAR Vice President Leland B. Hawkins, III, in a letter to state President Colonel Thomas D. Gillis, requested permission to schedule an organizing meeting for a Ladies Auxiliary.

The organizing meeting was held, and the California SAR Ladies Auxiliary was officially reactivated on April 23, 1983 at the Society's annual membership meeting in Burbank. From that small nucleus of ladies, the Ladies Auxiliary has grown to over 100 members.

In 1989, the opportunity presented itself at the national SAR's annual Congress to take the idea of the Ladies Auxiliary nationwide. The Society was celebrating its 100th anniversary at its birthplace San Francisco. It was also the 100th anniversary of the discontinuance of the original Ladies Auxiliary. It presented then California SAR president Arthur William Barrett the opportunity to introduce a resolution for national recognition of the Ladies Auxiliary. The resolution passed.

As a result of that action, numerous state Societies and the national SAR also have Ladies Auxiliaries. The state and national Auxiliaries closely collaborate but operate independently of one another.