NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIA TION, since 1870 the name adopted for the National Teachers' Association founded at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1857, an organization com posed of teachers and other persons interested in education. Its purpose is the discussion of topics relating to the education of the whole people, to the end that the profession of teach ing may be elevated in its character, that its interests may be advanced and that the cause that it represents may be promoted in the United States. The Association. exists as a body corporate of the District of Columbia, under the name of the National Education Association of the United States, by virtue of an act of incorporation passed by Congress and approved by the President 30 June 1906.
Section 2 of the act provides thit cot poration shall include the National Council of Education and the following departments, and such others as shall be created by organization or. consolidation, to-wit : the departments (1) of superintendence; (2) of normal schools; (3) of elementary education; (4) of higher educa tion; (5) of manual training; (6) of art edu cation (7) of kinder education; (8) of music education; (9) of secondary education; (10) of business education; (11) of child study; (12) of physical education; (13) of natural science instruction; (14) of school administra tion; (15) the library department ; (16) of special education, and (17) of Indian educa tion, the powers and duties and the number and names of these departments and of the National Council of Education may be changed or abol ished at the pleasure of the corporation, as pro vided in its by-laws." The membership consists of three classes: active, corresponding and associate members. Any eligible person may become an active mem ber upon application endorsed by two active members by paying an enrolment fee of $2 and the annual dues of $2 for the current year. Teachers and all who are actively associated with the management of educational institu tions, including libraries and educational pub lications, are eligible for active membership.
Only active members have the right to vote and to hold office. All active members are en titled to a volume of the Proceedings. Cor responding members, whose number shall not exceed 50 at one time, shall be eminent edu cators not residing in America. They shall be elected by the board of directors and shall receive the volume of Proceedings without the payment of any fee. Associate members pay an annual fee of $2 and may receive the volume of Proceedings by formal application. The board of trustees consists of four members, elected by the board of directors for a term of four years and the president of the Association, who is ex officio a member during his term of office. The details of officers and of manage ment may be found in full in the Proceedings (1906 et seq.). The several departments engage in the special work of education which their names indicate. The National Council of Edu cation is a deliberative body, whose functions need brief elaboration. One of them is the proposal to the board of directors of suitable subjects of investigation and research and the recommendation of the amount of money that should be appropriated for that purpose. When the board of directors authorizes special studies and investigations the council selects the mem bership of the committees to make them. Sev eral important reports have issued from such committees and may be obtained by correspond ence with the secretary of the Association. The council consists of 60 members, selected from the membership of the Association. The board of directors annually elects five members and the council the same number, each to serve for six years and until their successors are elected. All members become honorary members on the expiration of the terms for which they are elected. They are privileged to attend the ses sions of the council and participate in its dis cussions. No State is entitled to more than eight members.