The Washington times., 1937-02-15
P.-T. A. TO PAY
TRIBUTE TO
FOUNDERS

bers Of the National Congress o
Parents and Teachers will pa,
tribute TO the memory Of Mrs
Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Mrs
Alice Mcclellan Birney when tht
organization celebrates its forfeit
anniversarv on wednesday.
They will be hOnored for theil
part in calling the meeting Of the
first national congress of mother!
in WASHINGTON in 1897, thus found
ing The association which now has
$4,000 local units and is knowr
the world over under the name
adopted since that time.
First President
Mrs. Birnev served as president
Of the congress from 1897 to 1902
She died in 1907. Mrs. Hearst
lived to see the organization eStab
lished in 33 States before her death
in 1919.
Officers Of the organization re
called yesterday the praise Mrs
Brney penned shortly before he1
death for Mrs. Hearst's contribu
ton to the founding Of the con
gress. That tribute read:
Il wish you knew Mrs. Hearst
or could see her, if only once. 1t
is she, you know, who has indeed
been the inspiration and stay of
this movement from the first mo-
ment the idea was presented
to her.
FREE KINDERGARTENS
Il am confident she is doing
more good in the world today
than any other one individual.
"She SuStainS, think, 1S free
kindergartenS. besides cOntribut
ing largely to the support of
many educational charitable in
StitutiOnS through hOut the
country.
"She is a liberal patrOneSS of
the arts and sciences, and makes
valuable investigations possible
on the part of those who might
otherwise be hampered in their
pursuit.
HELPS MANY GIRLS
"She educateS many girls, pro-
videS several thousand factory
hands with I1OuriShing lunch
cons each day, and does so many
other gracious and beautiful
things that l cannot begin to
enumerate them.
In addition to this over
whelming amount of work in be-
half of humanity, Mrs. Hearst
superintends the management
of her vast business interests,
and it is a constant marvel to
those who come in contact with
her how she can accomplish so
much. With all this pressure
upon her, she is yet so ideally
gentle and wOmanly that she
wins all hearts and holds them,
too. If the other men and women
who have the power would do
one-tenth the good which Mrs.
Hearst is doing, the world, am
sure, would be quickly regener-
ated.
CONGRESS- GODMOTHER
"KnOwing all this, you cannot
wonder that / rejoice that she
stands before the world as god
mother for this plan for a ma
tiOnal congress of mothers"
In a statement commenting or
the forthcoming celebration, the
congress said:
"AII through its 40 years the
congress has been guided by the
principles laid down by its found
erS and has worked steadily to-
ward the goal set up by them. 1t
now looks toward the day envi-
stoned by Alice Mcclellan Birney
and Phoebe AppersOn Hearst
when an understanding parent
hood and adequately trained
teacherhOOd will secure for every
child the highest possible men,
tai. physical, social and spiritual
education
LAUNCHED IN 1897
Mrs. Birney originated the pro
posaI for the national congress
because of her dominating wish
that every child should have tht
care which she gave her own.
She spoke publicly of her plan a
mothers meeting at Chautauqu
in 1895. A few months later sh
enlisted the support and interes
of Mrs. Hearst. Mrs. Grover CleVe