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WES was founded in 1944 by people active in the religious and civil rights movements. The Constitutional rights of "ethics as a religion" were established in 1957 by a landmark opinion written by Judge Warren Burger in favor of WES and all Ethical Societies. Subsequent legal efforts made it lawful to use ethical rather than just theological grounds for conscientious objections to war. In the early years, because WES was racially integrated and actively campaigned against segregation, it was difficult to find meeting space in Washington DC. At the time even government buildings separated bathrooms and restaurants by race. Our first home was in Dupont Circle. When a new meetinghouse was constructed in 1966, it was at 7750 16th Street NW - a neighborhood chosen because it was dedicated to integration. The move was made possible by the generosity of Nancy Blanche Jemison MD (1876 - 1960), a long-term member of the society who established a building fund and left most of her estate to WES. WES members have long been active in the hunger and homeless movement, raising several hundred thousand dollars over 12 years to fund innovations for better services to people in severe need. Since 2000, International Partners has sent delegations of volunteers to live with families in small rural El Salvadoran villages and work alongside them building schools and clinics with funds raised by WES members and friends. WES has been won national recognition for its innovative Coming of Age (COA-MATT) program for teens and their families. WES members have been on the forefront of developing "humanistic spirituality," which is founded on the common ground among religions, secularism, and science.