Sir George Williams Letter, 1890

A letter from YMCA founder, George Williams to Oliver C. Morse, Corresponding Secretary of the YMCA Training School (now Springfield College) dated September 8, 1890. In his letter, Williams acknowledges that while he is very grateful to have been unanimously elected as a Trustee of the School, he will have to decline the offer because of his distance from the school as well as his existing commitments and responsibilities.The YMCA was founded by Sir George Williams in 1844 as a response to the poor living conditions young men in London, England were exposed to at that time. Williams sought to provide a place where young men could partake in healthy activities for the mind, body and spirit because at the time the options available to young men included taverns and brothels. The YMCA movement quickly spread across England, Scotland and Ireland and in 1851 extended to North America. Williams maintained a lifelong affiliation with the association and in 1894, the fiftieth anniversary of the YMCA's founding, was knighted by Queen Victoria. Sir George died in 1905 and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral. He is commemorated with a stained glass window in London's Westminster Abbey