What organization did Anna Jarvis create to promote Mother's Day?

Anna Jarvis created the Mother’s Day International Association to promote Mother’s Day. She incorporated the organization in 1912 as part of her campaign to secure national and international recognition for the observance.

Jarvis began her campaign after the death of her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who had organized Mothers’ Day Work Clubs to improve public health and aid families during the American Civil War. Anna organized a widely publicized memorial service in 1908 and then contacted church groups, politicians, and business leaders to build support.

Her efforts helped produce a national U.S. holiday in 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation. Jarvis later became deeply opposed to the commercialization of the day, especially the selling of flowers, cards, and candy. The organization’s name is sometimes confused with later committees or floral campaigns, but the Mother’s Day International Association is the specific organization associated with Jarvis.