International Platform Association records

The International Platform Association was an organization that functioned between 1831 and 2001. The organization began as the American Lyceum Association, and served as a means for people to debate and voice their oppinions in a public setting. In the early years that followed, organizations all across the country began establishing their own lyceums; by 1834, there were several thousand. The Chautauqua Movement grew out of the American Lyceum Association. This was established at Lake Chautauqua, New York, and offered adult education in both science and the humanities. Thousands of people came to sessions to hear lectures made by eminent politicians, artists, and scientists. In 1902, the International Lyceum Association was established and existed until 2001. The association organized to "dedicate itself to the improvement of the lecture, concert, and entertainment fields, to maintain the highest standard of presentations, to increase the welfare of those engaged therein, and to foster and develop goodwill and fellowship among its members." The organization changed its name to the International Platform Association in 1947.