Despite the flourishing of robust national student organizations in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s, all had dissolved by the end of World War II, prompting American delegates to advocate for a fresh beginning upon their return.
University of Chicago student William Birenbaum was an NSA co-founder, serving as the organization's first president and remaining active in its growth and development for many years.
NSA's early orientation centered on campus-related matters, aiming to fortify student governance, bolster civil liberties within American campuses, and broaden access to higher education.
While some members advocated for steering clear of political causes, others contended that addressing issues affecting students and national concerns was the association's prerogative.
However, NSA faced challenges in delineating between "political" and "non-political" actions, encountering divisions within its ranks when it took a stand against school segregation in the United States[4] and when it elected an African American, Ted Harris, as president in 1948.
[3] Throughout the 1950s, NSA engaged in measured liberalism, condemning McCarthyism in 1951 and South African apartheid in 1953, albeit limited to its impact on higher education.
[5] Despite NSA's inclusive approach to student representation, its leadership generally maintained a moderate stance, fostering a harmonious relationship with the government.
[3] Throughout the early 1960s, the NSA played a significant role in the burgeoning student activism movement, advocating for a student-centric vision within American universities.
[9][10] She was recruited on the spot by Alan Haber for new, rival, campus organization Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), into which she was followed by other NSA delegates, including Tom Hayden, editor of the University of Michigan newspaper.
A few years later, a group of mostly Southern schools left the NSA because of its stand on civil rights, forming the Association of Student Governments (ASG).
The story of the CIA's secret financing of the NSA was eventually exposed by Michael Wood, a former staffer, through an article published by Ramparts magazine in February 1967,[15][16] sparking a national scandal.
During the 1967 Congress, a resolution endorsing the Black Power movement's struggle "by any means necessary" was passed, leading to NSA's withdrawal from membership in the International Union of Students it had helped establish.
Delegates reaffirmed the association's dedication to student empowerment and university reform, receiving applause when a network television commentator described NSA as "a left-wing radical outfit.
Known as the "Dump Johnson movement", it paved the way for antiwar candidacies by Eugene McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy for President of the United States, ultimately leading to LBJ's surprising announcement in early 1968 that he would not seek re-election.
[20] The NSA, after initially neglecting certain groups, began to broaden its outreach in the late 1960s and early 1970s, incorporating workshops on gay rights and pledging support to activists of color.
[14] In 1969, the NSA held its annual meeting in El Paso, Texas, where thousands of student delegates overwhelmed the city,[21] particularly the Hotel Cortez, with music, drugs, and free love.
[23][24][25] In 1971, a California-based faction of the organization, dissatisfied with what they perceived as the NSA's limited emphasis on real legislative efforts, split off to form the National Student Lobby (NSL).