PTA's History . . .
PTA Beginning's . . . 1897—Our Founders' Vision Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst founded an organization-a nationwide movement-in a time when social activism was scorned and women did not have the vote. They knew there is no stronger bond than that between mother and child. Therefore, they felt it was up to mothers of this country to eliminate the threats that endangered children. They called for action in 1897 and more than 2,000 people responded—many were mothers, but fathers, teachers, laborers, and legislators also responded—all with a commitment to children. From that first meeting in Washington, DC, grew a groundswell of support. Problems were identified and strategies devised to resolve them. Through consistent hard work, sometimes after years of perseverance, the dreams became reality: the creation of kindergarten classes, child labor laws, a public health service, hot lunch programs, a juvenile justice system, and mandatory immunization were accepted as national norms.
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