Travelers Aid International
Encyclopedia
The Travelers Aid movement began in St. Louis
, Missouri
, under the leadership of Mayor Bryan Mullanphy
. Its purpose was to provide assistance to American pioneers and new immigrants who became stranded on their journeys. At his death in 1851, Mullanphy left a bequest of one half million dollars in his will to help "aid travelers going west."
By the 20th Century, Travelers Aid Societies had sprung up in major cities across the country. The programs protected stranded travelers, especially women and children, from others who would use, abuse, or victimize them. The primary fear was that young women travelers, native born and immigrant alike, would be kidnapped and turned into "white slaves" (defined as white women forced into prostition). Therefore, Travelers Aid Societies, most famously the Travelers Aid Society of New York, provided social work to vulnerable travelers at train stations and piers in order to prevent their falling victim to the white slave trade and related vices. Although many of the Travelers Aid programs were started by religious communities, services were often provided regardless of beliefs.
The founder of the Travelers Aid Society of New York (TAS-NY), Grace Hoadley Dodge
, had hoped to unite other Travelers Aid Societies to form a national association, but she died before this could be accomplished (she died in 1914). Due primarily to the efforts of TAS-NY General Secretary Orin Clarkson Baker
, national unification was finally accomplished in 1917. This association provided a "chain of service," with one agency helping another when inter-city transportation of a client was required. Travelers Aid was one of the original "United Service Organizations
" (USO) that provided assistance to traveling service men and women, operating 175 troop transit lounges. Today, Travelers Aid responds to the specific needs of the community. Although each member agency shares the original service of assisting stranded travelers, many Travelers Aid agencies provide shelter for the homeless, transitional housing, job training, counseling, local transportation assistance, and other programs.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, under the leadership of Mayor Bryan Mullanphy
Bryan Mullanphy
Bryan Mullanphy was the tenth Mayor of St. Louis, serving from 1847 to 1848....
. Its purpose was to provide assistance to American pioneers and new immigrants who became stranded on their journeys. At his death in 1851, Mullanphy left a bequest of one half million dollars in his will to help "aid travelers going west."
By the 20th Century, Travelers Aid Societies had sprung up in major cities across the country. The programs protected stranded travelers, especially women and children, from others who would use, abuse, or victimize them. The primary fear was that young women travelers, native born and immigrant alike, would be kidnapped and turned into "white slaves" (defined as white women forced into prostition). Therefore, Travelers Aid Societies, most famously the Travelers Aid Society of New York, provided social work to vulnerable travelers at train stations and piers in order to prevent their falling victim to the white slave trade and related vices. Although many of the Travelers Aid programs were started by religious communities, services were often provided regardless of beliefs.
The founder of the Travelers Aid Society of New York (TAS-NY), Grace Hoadley Dodge
Grace Hoadley Dodge
-Biography:She was the great-granddaughter of David Low Dodge, and granddaughter of William E. Dodge. Grace Dodge donated about $1.5 million and many years of service to philanthropic work. She was instrumental in forming the Kitchen Garden Association, which became the Industrial Education...
, had hoped to unite other Travelers Aid Societies to form a national association, but she died before this could be accomplished (she died in 1914). Due primarily to the efforts of TAS-NY General Secretary Orin Clarkson Baker
Orin Clarkson Baker
Orin Clarkson Baker was General Secretary of the Travelers Aid Society of New York City from 1911-1917. The TAS-NY was formed by Grace Hoadley Dodge in 1907 to protect native-born and immigrant women from the moral dangers, especially "white slavery," that were thought to be rampant at urban...
, national unification was finally accomplished in 1917. This association provided a "chain of service," with one agency helping another when inter-city transportation of a client was required. Travelers Aid was one of the original "United Service Organizations
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
" (USO) that provided assistance to traveling service men and women, operating 175 troop transit lounges. Today, Travelers Aid responds to the specific needs of the community. Although each member agency shares the original service of assisting stranded travelers, many Travelers Aid agencies provide shelter for the homeless, transitional housing, job training, counseling, local transportation assistance, and other programs.