A History of PTA
The National PTA, was founded on February 17, 1897, by Alice McClellen Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst, in Washington D.C. It was originally called the National Congress of Mothers. The group of mothers were concerned with the education, health and safety of children and youth... the same concerns the PTA has 100+ years later. In 1908, the organization officially changed its name to the National Congress of Mothers and Parent -Teacher Associations, today it's generally known as the National PTA. There are over six million PTA members in the nation (more than 364,000 members in Florida). PTA is the largest volunteer organization in the United States with one purpose — to serve children, their families, and their school communities.

Selena Sloan Butler was the founder and first president of the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT) to function in states that legally mandated segregation. In 1970 the congress united with the National PTA. Today, Mrs. Butler is considered a co-founder of the National PTA.

Florida: Our First 75 Years
The first local unit in Florida, was the West Riverside PTA, organized in 1921, in Jacksonville. The Florida PTA began in 1921, with an organizational meeting in Jacksonville. It wasn't until 1923 that the Florida PTA became an official branch of the National PTA. The Charter was granted on April 14, 1923. We were the 45th state to become a branch of the National PTA. The Florida PTA started slowly, but in 1924, our membership increased 235% (from 1,636 to 5,445 members)!