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. Believing that there is no stronger bond than that between mother and child, they felt it was up to mothers of this country to eliminate threats that endangered children. In 1897, they called for action and more than 2,000 people responded—many were mothers, but fathers, teachers, laborers, and legislators also responded. Support grew from that first meeting in Washington DC. Problems were identified and strategies devised. 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,
• mandatory immunization

Many more programs were accepted as national norms. Between 1897 and 1919, 37 state-level congresses were chartered to help carry out the work of the organization.