Milestones and Timeline  – The Urban League in the St. Louis Region
1910 – National Urban League was founded in New York City, NY.
1917 – An infamous deadly race riot occurs in East St. Louis, Illinois.  Black workers and migrants are attacked resulting in 39 deaths, hundreds wounded, and thousands left homeless.  The U.S. Department of War quickly creates the Urban League of East St. Louis to help calm the situation.  St. Louis voters approve a segregation ordinance.
1918 – An interracial group of St. Louis citizens organizes the Urban League of the St. Louis Provident Association.  George W. Buckner becomes the first Executive Secretary of the Urban League of St. Louis.  The Urban League establishes a day nursery.  Blacks are segregated, often poor and have the lowest paying jobs.  They attend the oldest, most crowded schools, and have the highest poverty, sick and death rates.   The agency’s name changes to the Urban League of St. Louis.
1922 – Urban League operates a school for disabled black children and a free dental clinic.  Gordon H. Simpson becomes Executive Secretary.  The Urban League takes a comprehensive approach to community service and problem solving.  Urban League becomes a member of the Community Fund (Today know as the United Way).
1932 – John T. Clark establishes the Federation of Block Units, an auxiliary to the Urban League, to unify neighborhoods and stabilize housing values. In addition, the Federation provides services to accommodate the growing migration of African Americans to St. Louis City.
1937 – Homer G. Phillips Hospital, a hospital built to serve African Americans, opens with the support of the Urban League of

St. Louis.
1950 – M. Leo Bohanon succeeds John T. Clark as Executive Secretary of Urban League of St. Louis.  In the post-war years, St. Louis goes through a changing period.  During this time, the Urban League of St. Louis shifts its focus from preparing clients for jobs in domestic service to jobs in business and industry.
1951 – The city of St. Louis experiences an unprecedented increase in the African American population – 109,000 in 1940 to 154,000 in 1950.  As a result, The Urban League advocates a community-wide program to meet the overwhelming problems (substandard housing, unemployment, inadequate health and welfare services) facing the black community.
1954 – William E.  Douthit becomes Executive Director of the Urban League of St. Louis as M. Leo Bohanon retires.
1968 – Laws passed in 1963, 1964 and 1968 change the way the Urban League works with the corporate community and its clients.  Douthit reorganizes the Urban League of St. Louis to meet challenges and opportunities coming from the social and economic climate.
1971 – The Urban League opens an office in the all-black St. Louis county municipality of Kinloch.
1979 – The Urban League of St. Louis and St. Clair County (Illinois) merge, becoming the Urban League of Metropolitan St.

Louis, Inc.
1985 – James H. Buford becomes the sixth president. With this change in leadership, the Urban League undergoes reorganization to meet change.
1986 – The Urban League receives a charter to establish the Urban League Guild.
1987 – The Board of Directors creates the first youth auxiliary, the Progressive Young Adults (ProYA).
1992 – Urban League becomes Weatherization Assistance Program operator for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
1994 – Urban League begins its Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway in partnership with Schnucks Markets and the St.

Louis RAMS.
1998 – The Urban League redefines service areas into three service regions, (St. Louis County Region, St. Louis City Region and St. Clair County Region).  The League creates a Chief Operating Officer position to oversee the team of vice presidents who manage the service regions.
2000 – The Urban League reinstitutes its link with young professionals by introducing the Urban League Young Professionals, formerly ProYa.
2000 – The Urban League joins the St. Louis County Government and the Missouri Career Center to provide Workforce Investment Act youth services to at-risk high school students.
2001 – The Urban League partners with YWCA to deliver Head Start Services in St. Louis City.  The League creates a Vice President of Communications position to direct its public relations and marketing needs.  Urban League relocates its St. Louis County Operations to the newly rennovated Schnucks Building on 8960 Jennings Station Road.
2002 – The Urban League opens its fourth Head Start Center located in Jennings. The center completes the Schnucks Building renovation and connects to St. Louis County Operations.
2003 – The Urban League expands its St. Clair County Division, opening a 14,000 square foot facility as part of the East St. Louis Housing Authority Social Complex.  The larger location allows this division to expand its basic needs and training services.
2004 – The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. receives a five-star rating from the National Urban League, becoming the top ranked affliate.
2005 – The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. shifts its main focus to Economic Empowerment and Equality.
2006 – The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis establishes its NULITES chapter.
2007 – The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. hosts more than 10,000 attendees at the 2007 National Urban League Conference in St. Louis. The Urban League receives Better Business Bureau accreditation.
2009 – The Urban League receives a three-year, $19.4 million federal contract to weatherize 3,000 homes in the St. Louis area.
2012 – The Urban League opens a new City Community Outreach Center on 935 N. Vandeventer and a new Community Outreach Center on 10220 Lincoln Trails in St. Clair County, Illinois.
2013 – The Urban League Board of Directors appoints Michael P. McMillan as the seventh president of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc.
2013 – The Urban League establishes the Whitney M. Young Society, a membership group for leadership donors.
2014 – The Urban League launches its historic Save Our Sons program in Ferguson and North St. Louis County to address issues surrounding the civil unrest.