American Association for the Advancement of Atheism
The American Association for the Advancement of Atheism (AAAA or 4A) was an American atheist and anti-religion group founded in 1925 by Charles Lee Smith. It promoted atheism and said the only creed needed was a formal profession of atheism. Key figures included Charles Lee Smith and James Hervey Johnson, and the Junior Atheist League was started in 1927 for ages 7 to 17.
Controversies and activities were noted by the Special Committee on Un-American Activities (1938–1944), which claimed the organization sought to weaken Christian morals, end “bootlegging” of religion in public schools, stop religious proclamations by government officials (such as Thanksgiving), tax church property, repeal blue laws, and nationalize church property.
The Junior Atheist League enrolled young people from seven to seventeen. The group also promoted Blamegiving Day, advertised as a protest against Thanksgiving services and, day by day, a challenge to divine benevolence. Descriptions of Blamesgiving indicate it involved sermons and lists of negative things from the year, rather than gratitude.
In the 1920s, the AAAA reportedly funded Ilya Ivanov’s project for human–ape hybridization, though the campaign was framed with a racist interpretation. In the late 1930s, Charles Smith merged the AAAA with the Truth Seeker Organization. After 1937, Smith’s leadership era saw the Truth Seeker’s subtitle change to “the journal for reasoners and racists,” and he continued publishing antisemitism, scientific racism, and white supremacy until his death in 1964, which led many members to leave the AAAA.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:12 (CET).