The Young Democrats of America has been the official youth arm of the Democratic Party since its founding in 1932. Although several state organizations preceded the national organization, the Young Democrats of North Carolina, led by Tyre Taylor, can probably claim to be the founding fathers of the Young Democrats of America. In the Spring of 1931, Tyre obtained the names of Young Democrats in other states and sent letters asking them to discuss the idea of a national Young Democratic organization.
On March 4 – 5, 1932, the first national organizational meeting was held in Washington D.C., with delegates from 27 states and the District of Columbia present. One of the first articles of agreement stipulated there should be no distinction in membership and privileges between men and women.
The Young Democratic Clubs of America (YDCA) was formally organized, but later in the year, over 600 people attended the first formal national meeting held at the DNC National Convention in Chicago, IL. Shortly thereafter, the DNC adopted the Young Democratic Clubs of America as the official youth organization of the Democratic Party. The first national convention was held in Kansas City, MO in 1933. Now simply known as the Young Democrats of America, the goals of our organization have remained the same for over 91years.
In 2002, the Young Democrats of America left the Democratic National Committee (DNC) structure in order to grow the long-term sustainability of the organization and to have control over our own budget, programming, and platform. The Young Democrats of America continues to operate independently of the DNC as a nonfederal 527 political organization while maintaining 3 positions on the DNC.
With that rich history in mind, YDA has kept a record of all of it’s elected officers going back to the organization’s founding. You can find a list of all the past officers of the Young Democrats of America here.