Then there was the NEA. Here's some interesting historical information on that organization, from their web site:
As early as 1926, NEA and ATA began working together on issues of educational equity, and four decades later, as racial desegregation advanced in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, ATA and NEA charted a path toward unification to create an even greater organization—the modern National Education Association. That dream was realized when presidents of both organizations signed a historical merger agreement in 1966. 2006 marks the 40th anniversary, and we celebrate our unique and distinct legacies and the strength and richness our combined energies bring to bear on the evolution of public education and the profession of teaching.
1966, eh. Let's see....in 1966, I was in the USAF, about to get sent to Turkey. I was just 21 years old. The NEA was founded by...wait for it...the Greatest Generation.