How did Big Brothers Big Sisters get started?
Ernest Coulter founded Big Brothers in New York City in 1904. Coulter, a clerk of the Juvenile Court at the time, was appalled by the suffering of the thousands of children who repeatedly came through the court system. At a meeting of civic and business leaders on December 4, 1904, Coulter appealed to those present to take on the role of a “Big Brother.” All forty men present stepped forward, creating the movement that is now Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Across town, similar work was being done by a group of women who befriended girls who came before the Children’s Court. This developed into the organization that later became Big Sisters. In the decades to follow, Big Brother and Big Sister programs sprang up throughout the country and today, Big Brothers Big Sisters is the leading youth mentoring organization in the United States.
