History
For more than a century, Association House of Chicago has played a significant and historic role in Chicago’s westside neighborhoods. Founded as a settlement house by Ellen Holt, a student of Jane Addams, Association House served as a landing place for new immigrants for decades. Today, Association House continues to serve thousands of families each year, through programs that promote health and wellness, advance education, and provide economic opportunity.
Timeline
Browse photos from our archives and explore the timeline below to learn about our 125-year-long history.
1900
1899
Association House was established as a community center, eager to meet the challenges of a diverse and growing immigrant neighborhood.
Association House began to serve women and girls working in nearby factories.
1905
Daily attendance topped 1,000, and that summer more than 4,500 showers were taken at Association House. To respond to the growing need, founders laid the cornerstone of the new and expanded Association House building at 2150 West North Avenue.
1908
The reading room and library opened in the new building, and within two weeks 500 children had borrowed books.
1910
Early participants included many Scandinavians, Germans, Poles, and later, Russian Jews, reflecting changes in the 1910 census. Leadership welcomed the diversity and provided a place that celebrated all cultures and religions.
1915
With a generous estate gift from fellow founding organizer Susan Poxon, Association House opened Druce Lake Camp to provide a summer escape from the city for young girls and boys.
1926
1927
1926
Leadership facilitated financial security through a new partnership with the Church Extension Board of the Presbytery of Chicago. This partnership continued into the 1980s.
1927
The Women’s Auxiliary held its first meeting and advocated for support from Presbyterian churches and businesses.
1930
During the depression, funds were scarce but programs continued, including dental and nutrition services, manual training, and art and music classes.
1946
Alfred Rath became Executive Director in 1946 and served until 1963. He initiated programs for the persons with developmental disabilities and youth, both hallmarks of our services today.
1947
Ever multi-cultural, participants now represented 29 different nationalities. By 1950, Latinos would represent a significant new population.
1948
A pilot program providing education for children with developmental disabilities began. The program grew rapidly and catalyzed the formation of 17 other parent groups in Illinois and 350 groups across the country, ultimately helping to deinstitutionalize countless children.
1960
Caravanas de Verano, a summer outreach program that brought sports and recreation to youth in their own neighborhoods began. This program laid the groundwork for future expansion of teen programs.
1976
AHC began services in Child Welfare with a foster care program that started in 1976.
1977
Our first program funded by the state in Behavioral Health was the Family Center (now PSR) in 1977. PSR is a rehabilitative skill-building service for adults with serious mental illness or co-occurring psychiatric disorders and addictions.
1980
In this decade, youth programs rapidly expand, including job training, group homes, and Association House High School, then called El Cuarto Año.
1990
By 1990, Association House had expanded from 30 staff in the 1960s to more than 200, spread across multiple buildings. Participants were now predominantly Latino and African American.
1993
Harriet Sadauskas was named the twentieth Executive Director. A daughter of Polish immigrants, Harriet grew up at the House and had already worked in the programs since 1973.
1997
The building at 1116 North Kedzie was acquired, providing much-needed space to consolidate growing programs and reduce rental costs.
1999
Association House celebrated its 100th year, bringing national attention to one of the longest continually operated settlement houses in the U.S.
2001
A new mission statement was adopted and services were re-organized into five program divisions, reflecting a structure that still exists today.
2005
The Opening Doors for a New Century capital campaign came to a successful close with more than $5 million raised for building renovations, programs, and endowment.
2006
Building on earlier training programs, the Career Center integrated adult basic education, sector-based bridge programs in growth industries, employment services, financial education and coaching, and income support services.
2007
Association House successfully coordinated a group of current Board Members and Board Alumni to form the 2007 Agency Mission Revision Task Force. They formed a new Mission Statement which adopted and approved.
2010
Due to instability in government funding, many child welfare agencies shuttered in the 2010s. In contrast, Association House used private funds to maintain our support of more than 150 children.
2012
Association House began comprehensive support services to transition individuals with mental health disorders and development disabilities from highly restrictive facilities to the community settings, where they now lead fulfilling independent lives.
2016
Association House became the Illinois provider of BankWork$, a nationally recognized financials careers training program helping to disrupt generational poverty through jobs training.
