Back in 1897, Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Alice McLellan Birney were greatly concerned about the nation's children. The United States was feeling the enormous impact of the Industrial Revolution and an immense wave of immigration was flowing into the country. Children worked in factories, in mines, and in the streets of the cities. Some could not attend school or obtain enough food to eat. What could be done? After extensive grassroots work in different parts of the nation, the two women met in 1895 and, through diligent efforts, planned a meeting to bring their idea to others. On February 17, 1897 that meeting was held and more than 2,000 men and women surprised Phoebe Hearst and Alice Birney by filling the hall in Washington, D.C. The National Congress of Mothers was formed and the work of the founders took on new meaning and strength. Today that organization is called the PTA (Parent Teachers Association) and it is the largest child advocacy association in the nation, working to ensure the best for all of our children and youth.
Among the accomplishments of National PTA are the creation of kindergarten classes, child labor laws, a public health service, hot lunch programs, a juvenile justice system, and mandatory immunization.
For more information about National PTA's history and successes, please click HERE.
