Harvey Smith and the New Haven YMCA

This lantern slide shows the New Haven YMCA in Connecticut and a portrait of Harvey L. Smith, who graduated in 1893 from the International YMCA Training School, now known as Springfield College. He played quarterback for the school’s second ever football team.After graduation, Smith served in a number of YMCA positions: physical director in Galveston, Texas (1894-1900), boys' secretary in Providence, Rhode Island (1901), physical director in New Haven, Connecticut (1902-1905), and boys’ secretary in Bedford, New York (1906-1909). Smith died on June 5, 1910. On May 8, 1859, a small group of businessmen held their first meeting to discuss organizing a YMCA in New Haven. Although they had no building, the YMCA initiated outreach programs within the year. Now, the New Haven YMCA has become the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA and has grown to twelve branches serving 75,000 people