A Relatively Brief History of the ACLU of Pennsylvania
According to our birth certificate, our Articles of Incorporation, the ACLU of Pennsylvania started on August 10, 1951, as the “American Civil Liberties Union — Greater Philadelphia Branch.” It was the outcome of a request by the Citizen’s Council on Democratic Rights to become formally affiliated with the ACLU under that name. This request was promptly granted (it was a very short labor), and, as the ACLU-Greater Philadelphia Branch, we became the 17th designated affiliate of the ACLU. After a couple of years, our leadership determined that a more inclusive statewide name was essential, and so in 1954, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania was born as an additional statewide affiliate.