The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation

The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation was founded in 1945 by the Archdiocese of New York in honor of "The Happy Warrior," Governor Alfred E. Smith. His pioneering labor reform in New York State at the turn of the century addressed critical deficiencies in a system that disproportionately affected children and young, immigrant women. Governor Smith spent his career as governor advancing the cause of the most vulnerable members of society. He did so with good humor and an uncanny ability to work across the aisle, earning him a reputation as a man of integrity and an exceptional legislator. In 1928, he won the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States, making him the first Roman Catholic nominee of a major party to run for office. While he didn't win the race, he served as governor of New York for four terms and his ground-breaking labor reform would become the blueprint for the New Deal. Governor Smith's legacy of helping children and families in underserved communities "regardless of race, creed, or culture" lives on in the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation and its signature event, the Al Smith Dinner. An illustrious list of political dignitaries and cultural leaders, including John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, Tony Blair, Colin Powell, Tim Russert, Stephen Colbert, General Mattis, and Nikki Hailey, have all been speakers at the Dinner. Every four years, in a tradition that dates back to 1960, United States Presidential Nominees deliver the Keynote Speeches at the Al Smith Dinner, leaving politics at the door and sharing timely reflections with a healthy dose of humor. All of the proceeds of the dinner go to charities that support underserved children.