In April 1937, just one year after AGMA’s founding, an issue of AGMAzine was released and, on its cover, likely for the first time, appeared the now-familiar “AGMA Lady.” She is considered AGMA’s first logo and symbolizes strength, artistry, and unity. Inside the issue, AGMA’s co-founder and first president, Lawrence Tibbett, offered a reflection on AGMA’s very first year.
“A little over a year ago, there was no American Guild of Musical Artists, and there was very little, if any, cooperation between any of us in facing our common problems, although we dealt with the same interests and even with the same people in arranging the details of our professional life.”
What began in 1936 as a bold idea had, in just 12 months, become a movement. Tibbett described AGMA as growing rapidly in both size and purpose, as artists came together to assert that their work, their dignity, and their livelihoods deserved protection.
The early days included debates, growing pains, and the challenge of organizing in an industry built on individuality. But, from the outset, AGMA stood for fair treatment, safe working conditions, and a collective voice for artists who had too often gone unheard in their workplaces.
Those principles, set down in that first year, have endured for nearly a century. In fact, what President Tibbett recognized then still resonates now. He knew that the true power of AGMA lies in its members’ willingness to stand together. In 1937, that unity was new, untested, and full of possibility. Today, it is proven, resilient, and still essential.
90 years later, we look and recognize how much of that first year remains alive in our work. As President Tibbett said toward the end of his article: “We are all conscious of the great possibilities of AGMA.”
You can explore this 1937 issue, along with all issues of AGMAzine, in the AGMAzine Archives on our website.