C is for Culture at Ethical Society
The ideals of the New York Society for Ethical Culture are as strong now as they were over a hundred years ago.
The dedication of the society’s meeting house at 2 W. 64th St. in 1910 was celebrated by over a thousand prominent politicians, theologians and businessmen. Thirty-four years earlier, Dr. Felix Adler had founded the Ethical Culture movement, which met at Carnegie Hall for over 20 years before the establishment of the permanent meeting house. “The new building is a new opportunity, that is all,” Adler said at the dedication ceremony. “It will mean much, or nothing, according as we use it.”
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ETHICAL CELEBRATION
By Dan Rivoli
The New York Society for Ethical Culture celebrated the 100th anniversary of its landmark Central Park West and West 64th Street headquarters Oct. 23. The organization held a rededication ceremony and premiered a short documentary, The Meeting House, on the history of the Society. Read more
ETHICAL CORNER
The New York Society for Ethical Culture wants the southwest corner of West 64th Street and Central Park West renamed “Ethical Culture Way” to mark the 100th anniversary of the group’s meetinghouse.
“It’s a way to honor the work that the society has done for the last 130 years,” said Julie Blutstein, director of development and communication.
Founded in 1876 by Felix Adler, the New York Society for Ethical Culture is a non-religious humanist, ethical and educational movement. The group was the first such society to be founded in the United States.
The society established and helped organize groups, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the American Civil Liberties Union, National Urban League and the Fieldston School, which was founded by Adler in 1878. The society currently operates and supports several programs, including a homeless women’s shelter and three soccer teams for underprivileged kids in Queens.
At press time, the group was planning to petition Community Board 7’s transportation committee March 9 to rename the corner.
Blutstein added that the society would propose “Felix Adler Way” as an alternative if a corner could not be named after a group.
