Town Hall, Inc.

The Town Hall, Inc. sponsored a full series of lectures, adult education courses, and musical performances in its auditorium in New York City. It also presented the popular weekly radio program, "America's Town Meeting of the Air."

In the 1890's a group of suffragists (The League for Political Education) raised the money to build their own meeting space to host lectures and debates. They eliminated box seats and any seat whose view of the stage was obstructed, which led to the phrase "Not a bad seat in the house". After the passage of the 19th Amendment the superb acoustics of the hall were discovered and it became touted as an ideal place to host musical performances. The theater grew into a non-profit center for the arts whose mission still continues today. Morning performances are free of charge to all children in grades 3 through 8. (from The Town Hall website)

Town Hall was founded in 1894 by six prominent suffragists under the name League for Political Education to continue the struggle for women's rights by raising political consciousness. Robert Ely was director of the League from 1907 to 1937. The Town Hall building, erected with funds raised by public subscription, was opened in 1921 as "a meeting place, clearing house for ideas, forum, lyceum, concert hall, school, and college." In 1935 George Denny, associate director of the League and later president, created America's Town Meeting of the Air, a radio program to foster discussion of political, social and economic concerns. The name of the institution was changed in 1938 to The Town Hall, Inc. and in 1956 it became affiliated with New York University.

The Town Hall, Inc. sponsored a full series of lectures, adult education courses, and musical performances in its auditorium in New York City. It also presented the popular weekly radio program, "America's Town Meeting of the Air.".

The Town Hall Inc. was organized as the League for Political Education in 1894 by six prominent New York women after a suffrage measure was defeated in the New York State Legislature. The purpose of the league was to educate the public about the issue by holding educational programs and lectures. The events were held at small rented venues. The League for Political Education gave birth to offshoot groups such as the Economic Club and Civic Forum. In 1904 the League became incorporated and changed its name to the Board of Trustees of the League for Political Education.

The building of an auditorium for the League for Political Education began in 1919 as the organization outgrew its small venues and sought a permanent home. The structure, which also included office space, was designed by architecture firm McKim, Mead and White. It opened January 1921 at 123 W. 43rd Street. It was dubbed the Town Meeting Hall.

Soon after the doors opened to lecturers and audiences, it was realized the auditorium had exceptional acoustics. And so the Town Meeting Hall became a venue for musical performance as well as political expression. Independent groups such as the New York University Club also rented space from the organization.

In 1930 the League for Political Education purchased the adjacent the building at 125 W. 43rd Street for its Town Hall Annex for more space. It subsequently sold the building in 1959. The league began hosting and broadcasting its "America's Town Meeting of the Air" radio lecture series in 1935. The series ran until 1956 and provided a forum for political and cultural experts to discuss current events issues.

The organization changed its name to The Town Hall, Inc. in 1937 to reflect its expanding programming. In the late 1950s Town Hall experienced a decline. It merged with New York University in 1958 and came under the jurisdiction of the Division of General Education (now the School of Continuing Education) until 1978 when the university divested itself from the organization.

Town Hall remains primarily a musical venue focusing on jazz and arts education.