The complete history of the ALA has been compiled in two books. The first book,
ALA 35, 1951-1986 by former members
Bruno Albats (former ALA General Secretary) and
Visvaldis Varnesis Klīve (former President of the ALA) and was published in 1986. The second book,
ALA 1986-2000 was written and published in 2000 by
Anita Tērauda (former ALA General Secretary) and
Irēne Karule. These books provide an overview of the association and its founding process. As documented through the personal experiences of the authors, the initiator of the concept of a unified voice for the Latvian American community was the
Latvian Ambassador to the United States (1948-1953),
Jūlijs Feldmanis. On April 15, 1950, 79 representatives of some of the main centers of the Latvian diaspora in the US, such as
New York,
Chicago,
Boston,
Philadelphia,
Washington D.C.,
Detroit etc., met to address the initiative. The representatives decided: (1) to create a nation-wide Latvian organization; (2) to define the organization's overall goals; and (3) to develop the organization's basic structure. The representatives established an organizing committee to draw up the organization's statutes and to call for a congress of delegates to formally establish the ALA. Following the meeting in April 1950, Ambassador Feldmanis continued to work with the representatives of the main Latvian diaspora centers to create a unified Latvian organization. Numerous meetings were held in the various communities (most importantly, May 24, 1950, in Philadelphia and August 5, 1950, in New York) to gain local support and finalise the founding statutes. Mr. Feldmanis repeatedly stated that the main goal of the association will be the fight for Latvia's freedom. 115 delegates participated in the founding congress. They represented local Latvian organizations and churches in the U.S. with 11,260 members in total. Jūlijs Feldmanis was elected to lead the congress. After his proposal that the founding statutes be accepted without changes, the founding delegates agreed, officially establishing the ALA. == References ==