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Ralph C. Smedley
Ralph Chesnut Smedley (February 22, 1878 – September 11, 1965) was the founder of Toastmasters International, an international public speaking organization. He spent 60 years developing the Toastmasters concept from a series of unsuccessful local clubs to the successful organization that flourishes today. He was also a long time official with the YMCA and a pioneer of adult education and lifelong learning.
Smedley was born in Waverly, Illinois, a city twenty miles southwest of Springfield.
He remained in Illinois most of his youth. After high school, he taught at schools in the countryside before enrolling at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. He graduated in 1903 and then started working at the local YMCA, where he delivered speeches and conducted meetings as the educational director. Those experiences gave him the idea of a club to teach public speaking skills.
While working for the YMCA in Bloomington, he saw the need to develop interpersonal skills pertaining to communication, management and leadership in the community. In order to help people learn how to speak, conduct meetings, plan programs and work on committee. He started his first Toastmasters speaking club on March 24, 1905. Laying the foundational methodologies which are followed in Toastmasters meetings today, the members took turns speaking and taking part in leadership in every meeting. Smedley and other more experienced men evaluated the short speeches given by younger men willing to improve. However, he had to eventually relocate to a YMCA in Freeport, Illinois and the lack of proper leadership did not allow the original club to survive.
In Freeport, he tried again. This time he was trying to encourage local businessmen to sign up and improve their speaking abilities. After he was transferred, that club failed, as did his later club efforts at YMCAs in Rock Island, Illinois and San Jose, California.
His Toastmasters idea finally caught on for good when he relocated to take a job at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California. On October 22, 1924, he organized the first fully successful club in the newly built YMCA building that eventually became Club No. 1 of Toastmasters International. Word about the club spread quickly and people in neighboring communities and other states started asking Smedley how they could start their own club. He wrote the Manual of Instructions and Ten Lessons in Public Speaking, and he printed and bound these publications. On October 25, 1928, he secured copyrights on the publications and trademarked the name "Toastmasters Club." He based the name on the word toastmaster which refers to the person who gives toasts at events, gatherings and occasions.
By 1930, close to 30 Toastmasters clubs had started including a club in British Columbia, Canada. In order to encourage expansion outside of the United States, the organization was renamed to Toastmasters International. The new name was inspired by Rotary International.
In 1932, Toastmasters International was incorporated as a California non-profit organization and Smedley took several positions such as secretary and editor.
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Ralph C. Smedley
Ralph Chesnut Smedley (February 22, 1878 – September 11, 1965) was the founder of Toastmasters International, an international public speaking organization. He spent 60 years developing the Toastmasters concept from a series of unsuccessful local clubs to the successful organization that flourishes today. He was also a long time official with the YMCA and a pioneer of adult education and lifelong learning.
Smedley was born in Waverly, Illinois, a city twenty miles southwest of Springfield.
He remained in Illinois most of his youth. After high school, he taught at schools in the countryside before enrolling at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. He graduated in 1903 and then started working at the local YMCA, where he delivered speeches and conducted meetings as the educational director. Those experiences gave him the idea of a club to teach public speaking skills.
While working for the YMCA in Bloomington, he saw the need to develop interpersonal skills pertaining to communication, management and leadership in the community. In order to help people learn how to speak, conduct meetings, plan programs and work on committee. He started his first Toastmasters speaking club on March 24, 1905. Laying the foundational methodologies which are followed in Toastmasters meetings today, the members took turns speaking and taking part in leadership in every meeting. Smedley and other more experienced men evaluated the short speeches given by younger men willing to improve. However, he had to eventually relocate to a YMCA in Freeport, Illinois and the lack of proper leadership did not allow the original club to survive.
In Freeport, he tried again. This time he was trying to encourage local businessmen to sign up and improve their speaking abilities. After he was transferred, that club failed, as did his later club efforts at YMCAs in Rock Island, Illinois and San Jose, California.
His Toastmasters idea finally caught on for good when he relocated to take a job at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California. On October 22, 1924, he organized the first fully successful club in the newly built YMCA building that eventually became Club No. 1 of Toastmasters International. Word about the club spread quickly and people in neighboring communities and other states started asking Smedley how they could start their own club. He wrote the Manual of Instructions and Ten Lessons in Public Speaking, and he printed and bound these publications. On October 25, 1928, he secured copyrights on the publications and trademarked the name "Toastmasters Club." He based the name on the word toastmaster which refers to the person who gives toasts at events, gatherings and occasions.
By 1930, close to 30 Toastmasters clubs had started including a club in British Columbia, Canada. In order to encourage expansion outside of the United States, the organization was renamed to Toastmasters International. The new name was inspired by Rotary International.
In 1932, Toastmasters International was incorporated as a California non-profit organization and Smedley took several positions such as secretary and editor.