Timeline
- 1886/01/01
1886
- Felix Adler addresses an organizational meeting of the Society for Ethical Culture of St. Louis
- Initial membership: 93 - 1887/01/01
1887
- 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 - 1895/01/01
- Housed in the basement of the St. Louis Museum and School of Fine Arts - 1896/01/01
1896
- First social event held by the Society, previously all events were focused on education
- Name changed to the Ethical Society of St. Louis - 1898/01/01
1898
- Operating budget: $4,461 ($127,000 in 2018 dollars)
- 1902/01/01
- Membership grows to 360
- 1907/01/01
- Walter Sheldon (our first Leader) dies at age 48
- 1910/01/01
- Purchased land on Washington Boulevard for the future home of the Society.
- 1911/01/01
- Formed the first membership committee.
- 1912/01/01
1912
- Sheldon Memorial Hall opened as the Society's first permanent home. Cost, including land, was $125,000 ($3.1m in 2018 dollars)
- 1914/01/01
1914
- First woman elected to the Board
- 1915/01/01
1915
- First all-member canvass (annual pledge drive)
- Membership: 515 - 1925/01/01
1925
- Sheldon Memorial, a valued community resource, hosts more than a dozen community organizations an average of forty-five meetings each month.
- 1928/01/01
1928
- Fire damages building and organ, $6,000 in damages ($87,000 in 2018 dollars)
- 1929/01/01
1929
- Voted to sell the Sheldon
- 1930/01/01
1930
- Voted NOT to sell the Sheldon
- 1946/01/01
1946
- 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), - 1947/01/01
1947
- 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) - 1950/01/01
1950
- Created an endowment account
- Operating budget: $25,000 ($233,000 in 2018 dollars) - 1954/01/01
- 1957/01/01
- 1958/01/01
1958
- Purchased Clayton Road property for $35,000. ($299,000 in 2018 dollars)
- 1959/01/01
- 1960/01/01
- 1961/01/01
- 1965/01/01
1965
- Dedicated new building on Clayton Road
- 1966/01/01
- 1968/01/01
- 1974/01/01
1974
- Sold Sheldon Memorial for $25,000 ($125,000 in 2018 dollars); later became the Sheldon Concert Hall
- 1983/01/01
1983
- Membership: 450
- 1990/01/01
1990
- Expanded the parking lot and put in new playground
- Operating budget: $361,000 ($682,000 in 2018 dollars) - 1997/01/01
1997
- Began full summer schedule of programs for adults
- 1999/01/01
1999
- Construction completed on new wing and elevator at a cost of $733,000 ($1,085,000 in 2018 dollars)
- 2001/01/01
- 2003/01/01
- 2005/01/01
2005
- Kate Lovelady hired as Leader
- Started online podcasts of Platform talks
- Legacy Committee and Estate Planning Funds started - 2007/01/01
2007
- Split collection Sundays started
- Hosted Youth of Ethical Societies national conference
- Adopted Senior Connections as Society-wide project - 2009/01/01
2009
- 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 - 2011/01/01
2011
- Memory Garden dedicated
- 2012/01/01
- 2014/01/01
2014
- Began funding 4-year scholarships for girls at Ugandan Humanist Schools
- New governance structure implemented - 2015/01/01
- 2016/01/01
2016
- American Ethical Union (AEU) meets in St. Louis
- Auditorium upgraded with new lighting and audio-visual systems - 2020/01/01
2020
- 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. - 2020/01/01
2022
- James Croft leaves as Ministry Team Leader
- 2020/01/01
2023
- Amy Miller, MSW begins as Interim Ministry Team Director
Leaders
Sheldon to Lovelady
Meeting Houses
Memorial Hall to today