The YMCA of Metropolitan Washington was founded in 1852 as the YMCA of the City of Washington by three young men: William Chauncy Langdon, assistant examiner of the United States Patent Office; Thomas Duncan, a Treasury Department employee; and William Rhees, who worked for the Census Bureau. When the idea for starting a YMCA in Washington was first proposed, it was not enthusiastically received by community leaders. Langdon, Duncan and Rhees's concept involved bringing young men of various Christian denominations together for "mental, moral, and religious improvement." But the three young men were encouraged by their pastor to pursue their idea. On June 9, 1852, 60 men gathered for the association's first meeting and pledged their support to the new organization. Early YMCA meetings consisted largely of religious lectures held at the Smithsonian and local churches.
FOUNDING DATES OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON BRANCHES
The YMCA of Metropolitan Washington was founded in 1852 as the YMCA of the City of Washington by three young men: William Chauncy Langdon, assistant examiner of the United States Patent Office; Thomas Duncan, a Treasury Department employee; and William Rhees, who worked for the Census Bureau. When the idea for starting a YMCA in Washington was first proposed, it was not enthusiastically received by community leaders. Langdon, Duncan and Rhees's concept involved bringing young men of various Christian denominations together for "mental, moral, and religious improvement." But the three young men were encouraged by their pastor to pursue their idea. On June 9, 1852, 60 men gathered for the association's first meeting and pledged their support to the new organization. Early YMCA meetings consisted largely of religious lectures held at the Smithsonian and local churches.