| Missing Title |
| 1905 March |
Social welfare worker and philanthropist Grace Hoadley Dodge founds the New York Travelers
Aid Society ("TAS"), a non-sectarian welfare organization headed by a committee of
Jewish, Roman Catholic and Protestant women. Initially aimed solely at protecting
women travelers, TAS sets forth the following three objectives at its first meeting:
"(1) Protection for traveling women as complete as possible in a world of incompleteness;
(2) A building dedicated to her comfort especially if she be poor and in distress;
(3) An employment clearing house through which a steady circulation between city and
country may take place benefiting both."
|
| 1905 July |
TAS begins active work at Grand Central and Pennsylvania Station, carried out by two
agents. Headquarters are in a one-room office at 361 W. 34th Street.
|
| 1905 November |
Advisory Board of Men formed chiefly to provide advice on legal and business matters. |
| 1907 January |
TAS is formally incorporated; office is now at 238 48th Street. |
| 1909 September |
One room in TAS headquarters is reserved to provide emergency accomodations for women
and girl travelers arriving too late to find other shelter.
|
| 1910 |
Grace Hoadley Dodge resigns as President. |
| 1911 |
TAS constitution is revised to allow men to serve on the Board of Directors; annual
report notes that although organization's most important work is performed for women,
men are also being helped "solely on ground of necessity." A "Department of National
Cooperation" is established to further goal of cooperation with other social work
agencies, both within and between cities.
|
| 1914 |
Grace Hoadley Dodge dies. TAS takes over work of the White Rose Home (a home for African-American
girls in Harlem) for "colored travelers coming from the south by boat."
|
| 1917 |
U.S. enters WWI. TAS annual report indicates that 30,422 persons were assisted "notwithstanding
the great decrease in steamer travel;" also reports "increased work for colored people"
due to "labor conditions caused by the withdrawal of many men for the army" and "the
shortage of food on the Islands [which] have caused a large migration to and through
New York." National Travelers Aid Society is formed to coordinate efforts of the various
local Travelers Aid organizations, with headquarters in New York City.
|
| 1918 |
End of WWI; TAS assists thousands of war brides and fiances in following years. |
| 1919 |
TAS annual report notes that a large portion of work is devoted to caring for people
who have left home due to war conditions, including many American girls and women
traveling to fill new openings in industry. TAS becomes a member of the National Conference
of Social Work.
|
| 1921 |
Service is provided to increasing numbers of old people and homeless men. |
| 1923 |
According to annual report, work at Pennsylvania Station has greatly increased "due
to the migration of large groups of colored people from the South, which necessitated
our adding a colored worker to our staff to assist in caring for them." TAS begins
sending some of its workers to the New York School of Social Work for formal training.
|
| 1924 May |
Edwin Gould Foundation donates use of building at 144 E. 44th Street for TAS headquarters;
also donates use of connecting property at 139 E. 43rd Street to open TAS-run Guest
House.
|
| 1925 |
TAS becomes one of the first social work organization to provide psychiatric services
to its clients.
|
| 1930s |
Great Depression; TAS takes on added responsibility of providing assistance to thousands
of "transient homeless men and transient families."
|
| 1931 |
TAS services begin to shift away from Port Office to bus stations and the TAS Central
Office, where transient unemployed are referred.
|
| 1935 |
Annual report reflects new emphasis on "preventive" nature of TAS in discouraging
"undesirable people from settling here and becoming public charges."
|
| 1939 |
New Yorker magazine publishes article on work of TAS; reports that increasing numbers of the
foreigners served are returning American citizens.
|
| 1940 |
TAS workers meet 546 children refugees from the British Isles. National Travelers
Aid Society organization joins with five other national welfare organizations to form
the United Services Organization for National Defense, Inc. ("USO").
|
| 1941 |
U.S. enters WWII; Mrs. Edna Moses, sister of Robert Moses, is named Supervisor of
joint USO-Travelers Aid Society Services. Additional information desks are opened
in Grand Central and Pennsylvania Stations for exclusive use of service men and their
families.
|
| 1942 March |
In conjunction with the USO, TAS opens Service Men's Lounge in Pennsylvania Station
for traveling servicemen and women.
|
| 1942 October |
"Red, White and Blue Lounge" opens in Grand Central Station; it is the largest Service
Men's lounge in the country.
|
| 1945 March |
TAS changes name from "Travelers Aid Society" to "Travelers Aid Society of New York"
to avoid confusion with national organization.
|
| 1945 April |
TAS purchases properties at E. 43rd and E. 44th Street from the Edwin Gould Foundation. |
| 1946 June |
Service Men's Lounges are closed. |
| 1950 |
Outbreak of Korean War; U.S. State Department requests TAS to meet all individually
sponsored Displaced Persons.
|
| 1951 |
USO lounge opened in Pennsylvania Station on temporary basis; USO Information Center
opened in Diplomat Hotel (TAS Board later reports concern over rumors that this is
a meeting place for many union and communist front organizations). TAS also opens
booth in the new Port Authority bus terminal.
|
| 1953 |
With funding provided by Puerto Rican government, TAS begins providing services at
Idlewood (now Kennedy) Airport.
|
| 1955 |
TAS celebrates its "Golden Jubilee" year; also purchases property at 204 E. 39th Street. |
| 1958 |
Board minutes document increase in cases involving teenagers and seniors (persons
over 65).
|
| 1960 |
TAS offices at Grand Central are demolished to make room for 54-story Pan Am Building. |
| 1962 |
TAS office space at Pennsylvania Station absorbed by Madison Square Garden. |
| 1965 |
TAS takes over travelers aid services in Newark, N.J., and surrounding area; board
minutes reflect increasing concern over budget deficits.
|
| 1968 |
TAS opens Evelyn A. Jaffee Travelers Aid Center in Grand Central Station; launches
experimental group counseling project for runaway children.
|
| 1982 |
TAS merges with Victim Services Agency to form the Metropolitan Assistance Corporation. |
