YMCA History
On 6 June 1844, Sir George Williams founded the first YMCA in London, England. The first meeting was held above a drapery shop in St Paul’s Churchyard, and brought together 12 young men. By the time of the first World Conference in Paris in 1855, the YMCA Movement was already established in 9 countries.
Archive photos
Come on a journey of nearly 180 years in 50 photos
1844 The YMCA is founded in London, England by George Williams (1821-1905)
1844 Where it all began ... St Paul's, London, England
1853 Henri Dunant, founder of YMCA Geneva and later of the Red Cross
1853 One of the first YMCA newsletters, by Henry Dunant
1855 The Paris Basis, the YMCA's founding document
1855 Paris, France - 99 delegates meet from 9 countries, all under 25. George Williams at front centre, Henri Dunant standing 3rd from left
1879 The World YMCA's first headquarters in Grande Rue, Geneva, Switzerland
1879 World YMCA's first Secretary-General, Charles Fermaud
1881 The first World YMCA logo
1891 The inventor of basketball - YMCA's James Naismith, and his wife
1891 Basketball - a YMCA invention
1894 The 50th anniversary of the first YMCA, Windsor Castle, England
1905 The YMCA welcomes migrants to the United States
1919 The YMCA reports on all its work in the First World War
1928 The YMCA launches a Commission on Race Relations
1929 The World YMCA is recognised by the International Olympic Committee
1937 Mysore, India - the 21st YMCA World Conference , and first outside Europe and North America
1939-1945 The YMCA reports on its work supporting prisoners in the Second World War
1939-1945 The YMCA provides food, support and entertainment to Second World War prisoners
1946 World YMCA President John Mott wins the Nobel Prize
1947 The World Communique – a World YMCA printed publication lasted until 2012
1952 World YMCA headquarters on Quai Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland (1942-1995)
1954 World YMCA estabishes an office to coordinate its refugee work
1955 World YMCA centenary, Paris, France
1955 World YMCA centenary, Paris, France
1955 Charles Sherman (Liberia) becomes President of the World YMCA
1965 The 4th YMCA World Council, Tozanzo, Japan
1969 The 5th YMCA World Council, Nottingham, England
1973 The 6th YMCA World Council, Kampala (Uganda) - Idi Amin presides, the Kampala Principles are agreed
1974 World YMCA President Lij Endalkachew Makonnen is shot dead in Ethiopia
1978 World YMCA Secretary-General Hector Caselli (Uruguay) and President Walter Arnold (Germany) meet Pope Paul VI
1981 The 8th YMCA World Council, Estes Park, Colorado, USA
1985 The 9th YMCA World Council, Nyborgstrand, Denmark - a new constitution, a Resolution on apartheid
1988 The 10th YMCA World Council, Aruba - a Women's conference is included
1990 World YMCA Secretary General Lee Soo Min meets South African President Nelson Mandela
1994 The World YMCA refugee coordination office closes
1995 The World YMCAs headquarters at Clos Belmont, Geneva, Switzerland
1998 The 14th YMCA World Council, Frechen, Germany - the adoption of Challenge 21
2000 The World YMCA launches a Drop the Debt Jubilee Campaign
2003 The World YMCA calls for an end to violence against women
2005 World YMCA 150th anniversary, Paris, France
2005 YMCA Sri Lanka leads the Tsunami response
2008 Martti Ahtisaari, YMCA Finland, wins Nobel Prize
2012 The YMCA Change Agents programme is launched
2014 YMCA One Million Voices project researches young peoples views
2014 The 18th YMCA World Council, Estes Park, Colorado, USA - we are a youth empowerment organisation
2018 The first female President of the World YMCA, Patricia Pelton (Canada), the first African Secretary-General, Carlos Sanvee (Togo)
2019 The YMCA Movement's 175th anniversary - 'Y 175', London, England
2020 The Covid response: Resilience, Recovery and Reimagination
2021 World YMCA headquarters, Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
2022 The 20th YMCA World Council - a hybrid event in Aarhus, Denmark and online
2022 The 20th YMCA World Council - YMCA Vision 2030 is adopted
Our beginnings
First World YMCA Conference in Paris
"Our objective was the improvement of the spiritual condition of the young men engaged in houses of business, by the formation of Bible classes, family and social prayer meetings, mutual improvement societies, or any other spiritual agency.”
Sir George Williams wasted no time in organising YMCA branches throughout England, Scotland and Ireland. Over the next 10 years, YMCA movements also began to develop across Western Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and India.
The idea of creating a truly global movement with an international headquarters was pioneered by Henry Dunant, Secretary of YMCA Geneva, who would later go on to found the International Committee of the Red Cross and win the first Nobel Peace Prize. Henry Dunant successfully convinced YMCA Paris to organise the first YMCA World Conference. The Conference took place in August 1855, bringing together 99 young delegates from nine countries.
The Conference adopted the Paris Basis affirming YMCA’s mission and purpose, and created the Central International Committee. The committee operated without a headquarters until 1878, when a permanent headquarters and formal structure was created in Geneva, Switzerland. This was a turning point for the Central International Committee that would eventually become known as the World YMCA.
Presidents & Secretaries General of the World’s Committee/World Alliance YMCAs