History of the Greater Philadelphia Dahlia Society

75 years … and counting…

BE IT RESOLVED that the following dahlia enthusiasts bind together as an organization on this date for the following purposes: production of finer dahlias, the dissemination of dahlia information, and the stimulation of interest in, and appreciation of dahlias……

With these words, The Greater Philadelphia Society was founded in July of 1948.

The resolution went on to propose an annual dahlia show. Charter members pledged full cooperation to this effect and affirmed their purpose. A full slate of officers was appointed. They were headed by President John McMenamen of St. Davids, Pennsylvania. The Executive Committee and the general membership decided to apply for a Branch Membership in the American Dahlia Society. The ADS had already been in existence for 33 years. One name on the Executive Committee jumps out. That would be Stanley Johnson, probably the most illustrious member in all of our GPDS history. The most prestigious honor one can win from the American Dahlia Society bears his name: The Stanley Johnson Medal, awarded to the cultivar that wins the most higher awards in a given growing season.

The very first Greater Philadelphia Dahlia Society Show was held in 1948 in conjunction with the joint Chester County/Bryn Mawr/Devon Horse Show. Charter member F. A. Alleva cleaned up at the show, winning four of the six major categories, thus becoming the first GPDS “Top Grower.”

There were other momentous occurrences in 1948, three years after the end of WW II. Israel and North Korea were declared independent states. The latter would embroil the world in a "police action" two years later. Airlift of food, water, and medicines to West Berlin due to a Soviet blockade was underway early in what was to become the Cold War. It was also the third year of the baby boom. Our sister society, the National Capital Dahlia Society, was already twelve years old. Surprisingly, they were not the oldest dahlia club in the United States. Snohomish County Dahlia Society in Washington state was established in 1909, six years before the American Dahlia Society.

Our fledgling group had some competition at its birth. The Burholme Horticultural Society held regular meetings in the Philadelphia area and the annual shows heavily featured dahlias. In fact, they were also affiliated with the ADS. They seem to have disbanded in the late 1980's.

During those early years, The American Dahlia Society held their regular meetings and shows in New York City, often at the Statler Hotel. It was a relatively short trip from Philly and members of the GPDS were heavily involved with the ADS operations and shows.

The annual shows were called exhibitions and were technically not a National Show. It wasn't until 1966 that the first true ADS National Show was held in Cleveland, Ohio. The American Dahlia Society was 51 years old that year. It was a common practice throughout all the clubs of the ADS to hold banquets and annual meetings on different dates and different places than their shows. The GPDS was no different and did not merge all the meetings and shows in one place until they formed a fortuitous relationship with Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania in 2007.