The American Lyceum Association held its first national convention in New York city in 1831. It continued for nine years, when the last meeting was held in Philadelphia. The association was interested in general educational problems but more particularly in advancing improved methods, in creating an interest in the study of the natural sciences, in providing the schools with books and apparatus, and in emphasizing the importance of the education of women. Among the papers discussed on the programs were "Manual-Training Schools,' "The Education of the Blind,' "Vocal Music,' "Eye Training,' "Education of the Deaf,' "Geol ogy,' "Female Education,' "The Embellishment and Improvement of Towns.' The programs were prophetic in character. The association created a wide interest in libraries and "lyceums.* The American Association for the Advance ment of Education was organized as the result of a meeting of the "National Association of the Friends of Education' which held its first meeting at Philadelphia in October 1849. The conference was presided over by Horace Mann, then a member of Congress from Massachusetts. The purpose was to discuss the administration of public education in its relation to the needs in different sections of the country. The second meeting, also held in Philadelphia, convened in August 1850, under the presidency of Eliphalet Nott, president of Union College. At this meeting a new constitution was adopted, and the organization became the American Association for the Advancement of Education. The eighth, and probably the last, meeting of the association was held at Detroit in August 1856 under the presidency of Chancellor H. P. Tappen of the University of Michigan. The various meetings of the association were marked by attend ance of superintendents, supervising officers and college presidents. The representation from the actual teaching staff was probably small. A close relation is observed between the Ameri can Association for the Advancement of Edu cation and the new State school systems which were being organized at that time.
The National Teachers' Association, organ ized in Philadelphia in 1857, absorbed the American Association for the Advancement of Education. The purpose of the new association was to include in one organization "all the teachers of our whole country.' The original "call' was made "to all practical teachers in the North, the South, the East, the West' and was signed by the presidents of 10 of the State associations. It was to be an organization of the rank and file of the teaching profession, to bring together into one unit the common thought of the practical teachers in the schools, and through the national association to bind all the State associations together into one structure. The spirit of the new organization was in every sense in harmony with the efforts of the earlier associations both State and national. It conceived the need of a national conference representing the popular teaching body. A pregnant phrase in an address by William Rus sell at the first meeting at Philadelphia —"har monious co-operation of educational skill with scientific progress and parental interests*— in dicates the breadth of view of these early leaders. Two conditions made this the psycho
logical time for the organization of the National Teachers' Association : the growing strength of the several State associations, and the liberal legislation by which systems of public education had been established in several States. More over, the rapid economic development of the country through the application of scientific dis covery and invention to the everyday life of the people, such as the marvelous extension of steam railroads and telegraph lines as well as the use of industrial machinery for the farm and home, made possible a real national confer ence and furnished a greater opportunity for the interpretation of the common thought. The strength in the association was in its appeal to popular membership. Its weakness was due to lack of educational leadership and statesman ship. The great impending national crisis over shadowed the activities of the embryo organiza tion. There was, therefore, lack of popular in terest and no conventions were held in 1861, 1862 and 1867. In 1866 an important change was made in the constitution whereby women were admitted to full membership on the same terms as men, and in 1869 two women were elected on the executive board of 35.
At the meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, in August 1870, D. B. Hagar of Massachusetts, who drew up the call for the convention of teachers in Philadelphia in 1857, was president of the as sociation. In his opening address he outlined certain changes in the organization as a result of which a new constitution was adopted and the following departments were created: normal schools, school superintendence, elementary edu cation, and higher education. By this action the American Normal School Association and the National Association of School Superintend ents became, under the new constitution, depart ments of the National Education Association. From time to time other departments have been added until there are now 21. The breadth of activity is indicated by the names of some of the departments more recently organized: vocational education and practical arts, rural and agricultural, child hygiene, physical, school administration, library, special, promotion of wider use of schoolhouses. The growth, how ever, was slow. The registered membership at the Cleveland meeting in 1870 was only 170, and for several years the attendance continued small. The funds were frequently insufficient to print the proceedings. In 1884 an unusually successful meeting was held in Madison, Wis., with an enrolment of 2,729. This marked the beginning of a new era for the association. From that time it has properly been regarded as a leader in national educational matters. In 1886 the association was incorporated for 20 years. The following year at the Chicago meet ing the membership totaled 11,297; at Los Angeles in 1899, 13,656; and at Boston in 1903, 34,953. In 1906 an act was passed by Congress incorporating the National Education Associa tion. A permanent fund founded in 1884 has grown to nearly $200,000.