Timeline

- Felix Adler addresses an organizational meeting of the Society for Ethical Culture of St. Louis
- Initial membership: 93

- Sunday school opens
- Joined the Union of the Societies for Ethical Culture
(later renamed the American Ethical Union)
- Expenses totaled $3,235 ($81,000 in 2018 dollars)
- Membership: 196

- Housed in the basement of the St. Louis Museum and School of Fine Arts

- First social event held by the Society, previously all events were focused on education
- Name changed to the Ethical Society of St. Louis

- Operating budget: $4,461 ($127,000 in 2018 dollars)

- Membership grows to 360

- Walter Sheldon (our first Leader) dies at age 48

- Purchased land on Washington Boulevard for the future home of the Society.

- Formed the first membership committee.

- Sheldon Memorial Hall opened as the Society's first permanent home. Cost, including land, was $125,000 ($3.1m in 2018 dollars)

- First woman elected to the Board

- First all-member canvass (annual pledge drive)
- Membership: 515

- Sheldon Memorial, a valued community resource, hosts more than a dozen community organizations an average of forty-five meetings each month.

- Fire damages building and organ, $6,000 in damages ($87,000 in 2018 dollars)

- Voted to sell the Sheldon

- Voted NOT to sell the Sheldon

- Appointed a committee to locate and recommend possible building sites, centrally located in the county,
- Committee reported that prices on real estate were too high and advised postponing any action until a more favorable time,
- Special fund-raising to support a 60th anniversary celebration. Target set at $20,000 to $25,000 ($253,000 to $316,000 in 2018 dollars),

- Added non-discrimination clause to membership rules
- Board members suggested that Sunday School put too much emphasis on Bible stories
- Sheldon mortgage paid off
- Spent $5,673 repairing Sheldon roof ($62,000 in 2018 dollars)

- Created an endowment account
- Operating budget: $25,000 ($233,000 in 2018 dollars)

- Platform given by Julian Huxley

- Platform given by Ashley Montague

- Purchased Clayton Road property for $35,000. ($299,000 in 2018 dollars)

- Platform given by Margaret Meade

- Platform given by Buckminster Fuller
- Operating budget: $45,000 ($375,000 in 2018 dollars)

- American Ethical Union (AEU) meets in St. Louis

- Dedicated new building on Clayton Road

- Tuesday Women's Association (TWA) , an outgrowth of the Women's Auxiliary, founded

- Weekday nursery school opens

- Sold Sheldon Memorial for $25,000 ($125,000 in 2018 dollars); later became the Sheldon Concert Hall

- Membership: 450

- Expanded the parking lot and put in new playground
- Operating budget: $361,000 ($682,000 in 2018 dollars)

- Began full summer schedule of programs for adults

- Construction completed on new wing and elevator at a cost of $733,000 ($1,085,000 in 2018 dollars)

- American Ethical Union (AEU) meets in St. Louis

- Ethical Society Mid Rivers begins as satellite of the Ethical Society of St. Louis

- Kate Lovelady hired as Leader
- Started online podcasts of Platform talks
- Legacy Committee and Estate Planning Funds started

- Split collection Sundays started
- Hosted Youth of Ethical Societies national conference
- Adopted Senior Connections as Society-wide project

- Ethical Society Mid Rivers becomes independent of the Ethical Society of St. Louis
- American Ethical Union (AEU) meets in St. Louis
- Young Ethicals group for 20- to 40-ish year-old members begins

- Memory Garden dedicated

- Ethical Navigators program begins

- Began funding 4-year scholarships for girls at Ugandan Humanist Schools
- New governance structure implemented

- James Croft hired as second Leader
- 50th anniversary of the Clayton Road building

- American Ethical Union (AEU) meets in St. Louis
- Auditorium upgraded with new lighting and audio-visual systems

- Kate Lovelady retires as Ministry Team and is appointed as Leader Emeritus.
- James Croft hired as Ministry Team Leader
- Society Building closed in March due to COVID-19. Platforms and meetings are moved online.

- James Croft leaves as Ministry Team Leader