A Brief History of the Toastmasters Program

More than four million men and women have benefited from the organization’s communication and leadership programs since Toastmasters began more than 80 years ago.

In October 1924, a group of men assembled by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley met in the basement of the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, USA, forming a club “to afford practice and training in the art of public speaking and in presiding over meetings, and to promote sociability and good fellowship among its members.” The group took the name “Toastmasters.” Soon men in other communities and states asked for permission and help to start their own Toastmasters clubs. By 1930, a federation was necessary to coordinate activities of the many clubs and to provide a standard program.

Your personal development is what Toastmasters is all about. For more about Toastmasters visit their Web site or contact Peter Peduzzi at ppeduzzi@scgov.net.