From UCP to Midwest to MSS: Celebrating Our 75th Anniversary
2024 marks an incredible 75 years since the founding of our agency. As part of our celebration of this community's past, present, and future, we'll be sharing highlights from our unique history each month.
In the late 1940s, St. Paul's Gillette Children's Hospital was one of the few hospitals in the Twin Cities that could treat children with cerebral palsy. It was in the waiting room of this hospital that our organization began to take shape.
Chatting outside the doctor's office, a group of parents bonded over their shared experiences: the joys and challenges that accompanied raising a child with cerebral palsy. The parents soon began to meet socially outside of the hospital. Their children, who were not allowed in the public school system at the time, had play dates with one another. In the absence of community-based services that catered to the unique needs of their children, they began to form a support group of their own.
On July 26, 1949, the parents established United Cerebral Palsy of Greater St. Paul. It would become one of the first programs licensed to provide daytime activity services in the state. They opened a school, called the Developmental Achievement Center (DAC), near downtown St. Paul. The first director of the DAC was the incredible Beth Gray, whose dedication to improving rehabilitation practices for those in her programs oriented the first 25 years of our organization. Many now consider her to be the "founding mother" of UCP St. Paul—and, soon enough, MSS.
Meanwhile, on the west side of St. Paul, a group of men with cerebral palsy began crafting small items for sale. UCP St. Paul sponsored their work, paying 50 cents per day. One of the craftsmen, Al Erickson, would remain involved in the organization's work programs for the next 30 years, eventually becoming a work counselor. He is remembered as one of the pioneers of the Employment Program that would become so essential to MSS's mission in years to come.
The number of persons supported, staff employed, and programs offered by UCP St. Paul only grew as time went on. So too did the need for community-based services like ours—as folks increasingly sought alternatives to the institutional model of care for people with disabilities. In 1982, our organization disaffiliated from United Cerebral Palsy in an effort to expand our services to those with other intellectual and developmental disabilities. A contest was held to decide the new name, and "Midwest Special Services" took the cake.
The following year, the St. Paul Center was opened at its current location, uniting the DAC and Employment Program under one roof. In 1988, a second DAC was opened in Roseville (relocated to Shoreview in 1993). This kicked off a decades-long expansion of our centers that continues to this day: Burnsville (opened 1993, relocated to Eagan in 2002), Plymouth (opened 1995, relocated to Brooklyn Park in 2005), Apple Valley (opened 2007), Oakdale (opened 2013), The Show Gallery Lowertown (opened 2015, relocated to Sibley in 2016, closed in 2020) and Fresh Eye Gallery (opened 2022). We look forward to additional opportunities for expansion in the new year.
While its reach and reputation continued to grow, our organization decided to simplify its name in 2018. MSS now supports over 500 individuals with a wide array of disabilities. Some folks have been enjoying our services for over fifty years. And the growing MSS family—including staff, volunteers, businesses, and community partners—continues to deepen our vision of what these services can be.
Much has changed since our humble beginnings in that St. Paul waiting room. Our mission, however, has remained constant: to support individuals with disabilities in living the lives that they choose. We are excited to welcome our 75th year and continue exploring this organization's rich history with you all!
We will be holding our 75th anniversary celebration on Thursday, July 25th at Mendakota Country Club. Mark your calendars!