Alice Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst established the NATIONAL CONGRESS OF MOTHERS on February 17, 1897 in Washington D.C.

Alice Birney had a childhood girlfriend who lived in Phoenix named Ella Fowler. These two friends had corresponded during the years and in 1902 Alice wrote her friend Ella and suggested she start a PTA in Phoenix. Ella at that time was a member of the Executive Board of the newly formed Phoenix Women’s Club. Mrs. Fowler contacted Mabel Phelps, principal of the McKinley School in Phoenix. The school had just formed what was called Study Circles. These circles were made of mothers who had an interest and concern about the education of their children. Mabel Phelps was impressed with what Ella had to offer and asked her to speak to the Study Circle at the McKinley School. The mothers liked the idea and agreed to be the first PTA unit in Arizona. This occurred in 1902 and Mrs. Frank Alkire was elected as the first unit president. The National Congress of Mothers required that there be a sponsoring organization and the Phoenix Women’s Club agreed to be that sponsor. Then in 1903, Ella Fowler was elected the state president of the Arizona Women’s Clubs. She presented the program of the Congress of Mothers to the state board of the Women’s Club and asked them to assume sponsorship so that the Congress of Mothers could become a state organization and form units outside of the Phoenix area. Mrs. Emery Kays was appointed to form this statewide organization and was the first state president. The first unit formed outside of Phoenix was in Globe, Arizona.

Under the guidance of Mrs. Kays the Arizona Congress of Mothers was officially recognized by the national group and given their charter at the national convention held in Los Angeles in 1906. Although Arizona was still a territory, we are considered by the National PTA to be the fourteenth state chartered by National PTA. Mrs. Kays continued to serve as the Arizona state president until 1909. In 1909 Mrs. J.C. Norton was elected state president and served until 1921. Mrs. John Langdon was elected in 1921 as state president and served until 1923.

Historical records indicate that the state office began as a "box under the bed" in the home of the state president. Finally in the late 1930’s a desk in a corner of the Homemaking Department was made available by the State Department of Instruction for the use of our State Congress-the first appearance of a "state office" was room #200 in the State Department of Public Instruction (this is not the current Department of Education). The president and secretary worked here when the need arose to communicate with the PTA units. During this time the State PTA joined the AEA in a joint publication, "The Arizona Teacher-Parent". This arrangement eventually gave way to the individual publications. Through the generosity of Governor Benjamin Moeur our next move, in 1936 took us from the desk in the corner to a large unused room (rent free) In the State Capitol building. Records show this to have been room #218 in what we now know as the old capitol building. According to PTA records Governor Osborn was a staunch supporter of PTA and during his term of office in the 1940’s he often stopped in to chat with the office secretary who by then was an employee on a part-time basis.

The next two moves were as follows. First, in 1946 the office moved to a rented building on North First Street. Then in 1952 the house at 1802 North 7th Street, Phoenix was purchased for use as a state office. This was the first property "purchased" by the PTA. With the rapid growth in membership the house at 1802 became inadequate and a search was started for a new location.

In January 1958 the building at 1802 was sold for $11,500. Cash received was $5317.80 and there was $6580.39 in the building fund. In April of 1958 the lot at 2721 North 7th Avenue was purchased for $3000. There were now 77,193 members and 279 units. In 6-58 plans were started for the building to be constructed. Building cost to be $14,600 ($8.00 per sq. ft.). The plan was for a building of 1500 square feet plus blacktop for parking area, heating and cooling. Architects fee $960. In November, 1958 construction was started and building to be completed by February of 1959. From November 1958 until the opening of the new building in February 1959 the PTA rented an office somewhere, no records revealed the address of this temporary site. The building at 2721 N. 7th Avenue was dedicated March 8, 1959. The total cost of lot and building came to $25,000. The building was contracted to Antrim Construction for $19,000. The mortgage was with Valley National Bank (now called BankOne) in the amount of $10,000. It was a ten year mortgage to be paid at the rate of $111.03 per month. In 1968 the Board of Managers approved increasing the mortgage payments to $125.00per month. In the Board of Managers minutes of October 17, 1968 it is noted that the mortgage is now paid off with a $48.00 refund on the last payment. The next mention of the mortgage being paid off is in April 1969 and states as follows " A simple skit commemorating the mortgage payment will be given during the convention banquet.

State Conventions

Health and Safety Efforts

Prior to 1915 it isn’t clear what was being done in this area except cooperative efforts with various health agencies. In 1915 the PTA Sponsored a Better Babies contest at the State Fair. The children were given a free physical exam and apparently there was a room where mothers could come and feed their children, change diapers, or just rest. The exam of course was to help babies who might have some health problems. In 1916 hot lunches were provided at this room. In 1918 PTA had a program stressing the importance of birth registrations. After the war PTA renewed its efforts in getting hot lunches into the schools and continued to support various other health education programs for the schools and communities. In 1984 PTA was instrumental in starting the program of fingerprinting children in an effort to cut down on the number of children being kidnapped. In 1988-90 PTA was very involved with doing away with corporal punishment in our schools. In 1991 the delegates adopted a Resolution banning children from riding in the back of pick-up trucks. The resolution was passed by the National PTA in 1993.

Legislative Activities

The earliest records available do not indicate much in the way of legislative activities. This is understandable considering the position of women in the early 1900’s. It appears that the APTA had no official legislative chairman until 1950 or 1951. The January 1951 Executive Board minutes make mention of a legislative chairman. Before that year the main course of action on legislative matters seem to be through resolutions with the notation that all units were to receive the information and to take whatever action they saw fit. For example, in June of 1950 a recommendation was submitted to the Board of Managers that APTA oppose a bill legalizing gambling in Arizona, "and urge the local county organizations to defeat the measure." In 1951 the Board of Managers began to study the material of equalization of taxes for schools. They also addressed the matter of amending a current law to prevent the illegal use of narcotics and alcohol. From the 1950’s until the present time, legislative issues have become a greater part of the APTA programs and the organization has had a legislative chairman on the Board of Managers and members have lobbied at the legislature. APTA has also been involved with national PTA in lobbying Congress on child related issues.

Arizona PTA State Presidents

1906-08 Mrs. Emery Kays (deceased) APTA first and founding president

1908-20 Mrs. J.C. Norton (deceased) A member of our chartering organization, The Arizona Women’s Clubs

1920-22 Mrs. John Langdon (deceased)

1922-24 Mrs. M.T. Phelps (deceased)

1924-27 Mrs. E.E. Bollinger (deceased)

1927-30 Mrs. Lena Burges (deceased)

1930-32 Mrs. Ross Finley (deceased)

1932-34 Mrs. Christine Stevens (deceased)

1934-36 Miss C. Louise Boehringer (deceased)

1936-38 Mrs. R.L. Pomeroy (deceased)

1938-40 Mrs. F.A. Bons (deceased)

1940-42 Mrs. R.W. Sherwood (deceased)

1942-44 Mrs Sarah Lee (deceased)

1944-47 Mrs. Florence Ryan (deceased)

1947-50 Mrs. Ina Breeding (deceased)

1950-52 Mrs. Mary Saunders (deceased)

1952-54 Mrs. Faith North (deceased)

1954-56 Mrs. Mary Noyes (deceased)

1956-58 Mrs. Dorothy Burkhart (deceased)

1958-60 Mrs Ruth Jene Schoneberger (deceased)

1960-62 Mrs. Betty Littlefield (deceased)

1962-64 Mrs. Helen Hafley (deceased)

1964-66 Mrs. Helen Taylor

1966-67 Mrs. Barbara Markiewicz (deceased)

1967-70 Mrs. Marion Porch

1970-72 Mrs. Norma Botkin (deceased)

1972-74 Mr. Tom Caldwell (deceased)

1974-75 Mrs. Anne McAllister

1975 Mrs. Margaret Hagen

1975-78 Mrs. Mary Murphy

1978-80 Mrs. Barbara Mace

1980-82 Mrs. Loyce Wescott

1982-84 Mrs. Joanne Hilde

1984-85 Mrs. Patricia Hineman Labelle

1985-88 Mrs. Naida Rector

1988-90 Mrs. Charmaine Rusu

1990-91 Mrs. Darlene Fields

1991-94 Mrs. Shari Avianantos

1994-97 Mrs. Jeanette Weis

1997-99 Mrs. Cindy Craig

1999-01 Mrs. Terrie Minnick

2001-03 Mrs. Sally L. Hollis

2003-07 Mrs. Lucy Ranus

2007-09 Mrs. Vivian Vincent

2009-11 Mrs. Betty Garcia-Pendley

2011-2013 Mrs. Rochelle Wells