 On May 23, 1856, 110 men and women from 22 Missouri counties met in Wyman's Hall St. Louis, Missouri in St. Louis to form an organization that would “unite the different members, advancing their mutual improvement, and elevating the profession to its just intellectual and moral influence on the community.” The individuals at that St. Louis meeting became the founders of the Missouri State Teachers Association, a professional association for Missouri educators.To quote the first constitution, the group's purpose was “to promote the sacred interests of education by uniting the different members advancing their mutual improvement, and elevating the profession to its just intellectual and moral influence on the community.”

Membership was open to teachers and others actively engaged in promoting the interests of education.Two significant events occurred in 1857.