As school social work approached its ninetieth anniversary in 1994, a new organization, the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA), was just forming. The background--why SSWAA was created and how it grew in its first twelve years--involves a small group of individuals dedicated to the future of school social work and an assortment of professional organizations including the National Association of Social Workers, the Midwest School Social Work Council, the state school social work associations, and two other regional councils. Between the founding meeting in 1994 and 2006, SSWAA membership grew from 60 school social workers to more than 3,000. The School Social Work Association of America became the host of an annual national conference and an advocate and voice for school social work in Washington, DC. It modeled cooperation and collaboration with other professional groups to lead the way for school social work at the national level. Starting with the initial founding meeting through 2006, I headed the SSWAA leadership team. This is my perspective on those first years.