1. FOUNDERS DAY
A brief History of the PTA
Todd Curtis
Legislation Chairman Ventura PTA Council

2. National PTA Historical Timeline
• 1897: Alice McLellan and Phoebe Hearst founded The National
Congress of Mothers
• 1910: Founders day observed on February 17
• 1926: NCCPT Founded by Selena Butler
• 1930: The Great Depression
• 1941: PTA supports war efforts
• 1952: Polio cases reach 57,628
• 1970: NCCPT Merges with the National PTA
• 1982: President Reagan proclaims October as National PTA
membership month
• 1992: Parent involvement becomes a national goal
• 1997: 100 years later
• Present day: National PTA continues to support State and Local Units

3. The Founders:
• Alice McLellan Birney
• Advertising career
• Three Children
• Her third child Lilly inspired her to help all children
• Phoebe Hearst
• School teacher
• George Hearst
• Mother of William Randolph Hearst

4. The National Congress of Mothers
• Washington D.C. 1895…..
• Birney has a vision to hold a congress of mothers similar
to other conventions held in D.C.
• February 17, 1897:
• First meeting called
• Washington D. C.
• Arlington Hotel
• Expected attendance: 50
• Actual attendance: > 2,000

5. Founders Day
• 1908, delegates voted to change the name of the
organization to the National Congress of Mothers and
Parent-Teacher Associations
• 1910, Denver Colorado. Mary Mears motions to celebrate
Founders Day
• The motion passed and took two years for conformation
• The first celebration took place in 1913
• This tradition continues today……

6. National Congress of Colored Parent-Teachers
• Founded on May 7, 1926 by Selena Sloan Butler
• Inspired by Alice Birney and Phoebe Hearst
• Supported by the National PTA
• Goal: Unite African American mothers

7. The Great Depression
• 1,300 banks failed
• Many children were forced to quit school to support their
families.
• 1930: President and First Lady Hoover hosted a National
Conference on “Child Health and Protection”
• Selena Sloan Butler chaired the committee “The Infant
and the Pre-School Child.
• “Children’s Charter”
• Specialized care for kids with disabilities
• Sufficient / safe facilities
• Parental training
State and Local PTA Units spend the next two years implementing
programs based on the “Children’s Charter”

8. The National PTA supports WWII
• PTA Units organized “safe houses” for coastal cities
• War bond drives
• Scrap metal drives
• Recycling programs
• The National PTA publication;
• War Handbook
• Fathers, brothers, husbands, nurses, doctors departed to
support the war
• National, State and local units provided:
• Day care
• First aid training
• Community support

9. The National PTA supports post war
challenges!
• 1951, Oliver Brown’s daughter denied to attend an all
white school
• 1954 Segregation ruled unconstitutional Brown vs. Board
of Education
• Polio cases reach 57,628
• 1954, vaccine was discovered
• National PTA helped with the vaccination campaign

10. Time for a Merger
• June 22, 1970
• The National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers declares
that its mission has been accomplished!
• National PTA president Pearl Price and NCCPT president
Clara Gray formally unite both organizations!
“Our Challenge now is to move above and beyond our
separate, divisive, experiences and build a shared
experience!”- Perl Price

11. 1982: President Reagan proclaims October as National PTA President
membership month

12. 1997, 100 years later
• National PTA celebrates 100th anniversary with Washington D.C. gala
• Lois Jean White is inaugurated as the first African-American president
of National PTA
• 32 cent PTA postage stamp revealed

13. 2000 and beyond……
• National PTA encouraged anti-bullying discussions in
communities with its Connect for Respect initiative
• PTA becomes proud co-sponsor of Fatherhood Initiative’s
National Summit on Fatherhood National
• PTA entered the world of social media with the launch of
its Facebook page.
• Launches nationwide video game ratings education
campaign with the Entertainment Software Rating Board

14. Other PTA accomplishments
• Creation of Kindergarten classes
• Child labor laws
• Public health service
• Hot and healthy lunch programs
• Juvenile justice system
• Mandatory immunization
• Arts in Education
• School Safety
Thank You!
Your being here today shows your continued support for
your Unit, Council, District, State and National PTA!

15. Citation Page
• National PTA: The PTA Story A Century of Commitment to
Children 1997
• National PTA:
http://www.pta.org/about/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3463
Retrieved from the world wide web February, 2013

16. Resources
• Nation PTA website: www.pta.org
• California State PTA website: www.capta.org
• 12th District PTA website: www.12thdistrictpta.org
• Sunset School PTA website: www.sunsetpta.info