Robert R. McBurney YMCA Life Member Certificate, 1876
Description:
A certificate of Life Membership to the YMCA of New York City given to Robert Ross McBurney. The certificate is dated June 8, 1876 and is signed by W.E. Dodge Jr., President and E.A. Bennett. Under McBurney’s leadership, the association grew and moved several times into larger quarters. In 1870, the YMCA moved into its own building, designed by McBurney, to accommodate the specific membership and program needs of the Y. Over the next seven years, McBurney oversaw the development of nine more facilities as well as a dramatic increase in membership. He was an outspoken advocate of the “fourfold purpose,” incorporating physical activity as part of the Y’s mission when the idea was controversial. He developed the “Metropolitan Association” model of a semi-autonomous branch network with one central administrative authority. Robert McBurney also served in senior leadership roles for the International Committee, the precursor of today’s YMCA of the USA. One of his biographers wrote that McBurney’s influence on the YMCA movement was “profound, exceeding that of any other man.”
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The certificate has some damage along the right edge and is encased in mylar with board backing. In addition, the scanned image cuts off some of the original document.
