In the 1920s, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) served as the most popular organizations at Maryville College. Established in the 1840s by a British philanthropist George Williams, the YMCA grew into an international organization bent on shaping and promoting youths in a Christian environment.  On March 2, 1877, three MC students including former President Wilson formed the Maryville College YMCA chapter thus creating one of the first YMCA chapters to be located on a college campus. Maryville College would be the first college to have a dedicated YMCA building.