It was founded by David Rothenberg in 1967 as a result of his experience at Riker's Island while researching for the play Fortune and Men's Eyes.
John Herbert, the author of Fortune and Men's Eyes, had been incarcerated as an altercation had caused a mass roundup by police.
Initially, the organization began as discussion forums at the Actor's Playhouse featuring a diverse set of participants including parole officers, elected officials, and the formerly incarcerated among others.
"[3] Rothenberg's office on West 46th Street in New York City became the de facto headquarters of the organization and the group began fundraising at Tuesday night discussions.
Clarence Cooper, Frank Sandiford, Eddie Morris, and Rob Freeley were panelists on the show, leveraging their social status and celebrity.
Susskind informed the audience that the men were all part of a new organization and to connect to them at the Fortune Society at their office address.
Notables including Arlene Francis, Melba Moore, Zoe Caldwell, and Christopher Reeve supported the organization and raised funds.
The model tutoring program that still runs today was created at this time, offering classes for illiteracy, general educational development testing and college preparation, as well as career services.
[15] At the start of the AIDS epidemic, the society received letters from inmates with tales of men dying of strange diseases.