Cannon Memorial Young Men's Christian Association history

1910: Answering a Y campaign “to teach every man and boy in North America” to swim, George Corsan comes to the Detroit YMCA to teach the skill using unique methods: group lessons and lessons on land as a confidence builder.

The 1912 Annual Report listed YMCA participation numbers for that year.

When the new YMCA of Spartanburg opened at 215 East Main Street on September 24, 1914, it boasted a large lot with a three-story building that was modern in every respect.

The YMCA of Spartanburg had hit upon hard times at the end of the 1920’s when the Depression years added to an increasing debt and brought program deterioration.

On July 15, 1925, YMCA membership drive workers secured 200 new members for the Association.

1926: Based on the Native-American family model, the parent-child program Y-Indian Guides starts at the St Louis YMCA to foster the companionship of father and son.

Beginning in the 1930’s, a swimming campaign, organized with the help of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, enrolled 300 boys in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

1936: Sponsored by the New York State YMCA, the Youth and Government program begins in Albany to encourage high-school youth to understand and participate in the government process.

1941: During World War II, the Y, along with five other national voluntary organizations, found the United Service Organizations (USO).

The YMCA, however, took on a new life when Evans Cannon came to Spartanburg in 1942 to be the Executive Director.

A successful campaign in 1945 to raise $30,000 enabled the YMCA to renovate the building to better serve community members – both male and female.

[Wilson Harrison, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, August 1, 1946]

Spartanburg Herald announcement in 1947: “Approximately thirty Spartanburg women – civic club members, city school faculty, and business and professional women – were guests of the YMCA during ‘open house’ for women on Tuesday night.

Dot Huntsinger, Spartanburg Herald, March 18, 1948: “The first YMCA girls’ director, Miss Mary Kneece has opened to women fields of sports never before offered…Under her supervision, more than 200 women and girls learned to swim in ‘Learn-to-Swim’ classes.

1971: Doctor Leo B. Marsh starts the Black Achievers program at the Harlem Branch YMCA (N.Y.) The program helps African-American teens improve academic standards and boost self-esteem.

1975: Y-USA and the NBA Players Association start the Youth Basketball Association (YBA) to create programs that stress abilities and teamwork over winning at any cost.

The Spartanburg Herald-Journal on May 21, 1989, recalled the memories of a member who saw the lobby of the building rented out as a bus station.

1991: The Government Relations and Public Policy Office is formed in the nation’s capital to champion the Y cause with lawmakers and work with Ys to advocate for the kids, families and communities they serve.

1992: Ys conduct the first national Healthy Kids Day, emphasizing the importance of play in keeping kids healthy and happy and enhancing their developmental skills.

1998: Y-USA establishes Arts and Humanities as a national program, spotlighting the importance of arts to the development of a young person’s imagination, critical thinking, communication and social skills.

2001: On Saturday, June 2, 1,200 Ys host 700 YMCA World’s Largest Run™ events in the country’s first synchronized run/walk across all United States time zones.

2002: YMCA of the USA creates the National Diversity Initiative to support the YMCA movement in valuing the diversity of all people within its associations and the communities it serves.

2008: The Armed Services YMCA and Y-USA partner with the Department of Defense in the Military Outreach Initiative, which funds memberships and child care for families facing the hardship of military deployment.

2010: The Y revitalizes its brand, officially referring to itself by its most familiar name – the Y – for the first time.

2011: YMCA of the USA makes a commitment to the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to help end the childhood obesity epidemic.

2015: Kevin Washington takes over as the 14th President and CEO of YMCA of the USA, becoming the first African-American to hold the position.