National Congress of Parents and Teachers

The National Congress of Parents and Teachers (now the PTA) was organized by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst in December 1896. The first national meeting of the National Congress of Mothers (as it was first called) was held in Washington D.C. in February, 1897. In 1908 the name was changed to the National Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associations in an effort to recognize the importance of the parent-teacher partnership. In 1924, the name was changed to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. In 1950, the group's national headquarters was established in Chicago. The initial focus of the group was on mother/teacher cooperation and child welfare issues. However, as the organization grew and diversified, it supported many other causes including sex education, teacher salary increases, mothers' pension laws, safety, homemaking, adult education, nutrition, anti-drug and -tobacco use, race relations, flouridation of water supplies, and polio prevention.

From the description of Records, 1896-1965. (University of Illinois-Chicago Library). WorldCat record id: 54367747