The history of Toastmasters

The history of Toastmasters began with a series of talks organised by Ralph C. Smedley while he worked for the YMCA in Bloomington, Illinois, in the United States.

As director of education, Smedley saw that members needed to learn to speak, lead meetings, plan programmes and work on committees. He founded a club to help them develop these skills and called it the Toastmasters Club. “Toastmaster” was a familiar term for a person who gave a toast at a banquet or ceremony.

The first unofficial meeting took place on 24 March 1905. As at today’s meetings, participants took turns leading and speaking, while Smedley and more experienced men evaluated the speeches. Membership was initially restricted to men; women were admitted in 1973.

To learn more, visit the Toastmasters International history page.