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With the year 1914 the work of the Committee on Provision, as such, came to a close so far as New Jersey especially was concerned. But the work could not stop. Its successful outcome had created so many cries of "Come over and help us" that the missionary spirit of the Village was stirred to answer them. The present Director, E. R. Johnstone, had taken the lead in organizing and directing the work of the Committee. It was he who now became the leader in the wider field. The Committee was enlarged and strengthened. Since 1911 it had in reality been known as the Extension Staff of The Training School for, in that year, due to the cumulative effect of the Summer School for Teachers, the Research Laboratory and the Committee on Provision, an office with limited personnel had been established in the Village to meet the increasing demands made upon it by other states and countries. In 1913 the growth of the work had demanded a larger and better equipment. Alexander Johnson was then called from Indiana to direct the department with the assistance of a clerk and field worker. The work of the Extension Department was now on a truly national basis. Its headquarters remained at The Training School which supported it by its own funds and missionary zeal.

Toward the close of 1914 the demands on the Committee on Provision had reached such proportions and were so wide-spread that the creation of a National Committee became imperative. The whole country seemed to be becoming feebleminded-conscious. Clubs and associations of all sorts, especially women's clubs, churches, schools and universities were asking for information, help and guidance. Their common plea was, "Tell us what we can do."

In December of that year the Committee called a conference in New York City to consider the formation of a national organization. Twenty-one people were present, representing five institutions for the feeble-minded, four state departments of public welfare, a state reformatory, a juvenile court, a city board of education, the Eugenics Record Office and various other organizations. The sole object of the conference was to discuss:

First. Do we now possess sufficient information and are our theories sufficiently developed to commence a nation-wide campaign of publicity and promotion for the care of the feebleminded?

Second. Is the general public sufficiently aroused to be in sympathy with the campaign? In other words, have we reached the psychological moment?

Third. If the above questions are answered in the affirmative, how shall the campaign be conducted and who shall conduct it?

The unanimous conclusion was in favor of the two former propositions, with the proviso that there was still much need for further research in many important departments and that nothing done in the way of publicity should be permitted to discourage further research. It was also determined that, at least for the present, the Extension Department of The Training School at Vineland should continue methods it had begun in which it had had a reasonable amount of success.

Those present further pledged themselves to sympathetic cooperation and agreed to constitute an Advisory Committee to be called upon either as a committee or as individuals when the Vineland Department should feel the need of their help.

A special meeting of the Board of Directors of The Training School at Vineland was called January 23, 1915 at which time the Board approved "a campaign of publicity and education looking to the care of the feeble-minded of the United States" and agreeing "to carry on the campaign providing it can be properly financed." A committee was appointed to draw up a plan.

The Committee reported:

"Before the Extension Department of The Training School at Vineland had been formed as such, work had been done by those now associated with it, in trying to bring about greater public knowledge of the feeble-minded.

"Public school teachers were definitely interested in Indiana in 1896.

"The public schools seemed to offer the most interested point of activity and when special classes for mental deficients were started the need of more knowledge and of trained teachers at once became evident. Our extension really began when we opened the first summer school for public school teachers in 1904. The students have come from all parts of the country (also from England and Canada). They have formed centers of interest; from or through them has come a steady demand for information and for help in developing the care and training of backward and feeble-minded children.

"When our Department of Research was organized in 1906 it, too, attracted much attention, so that within a year or two the requests for lectures, testings of children and answers to questions compelled us to employ extra help and we tried to respond to the many calls.

"New Jersey naturally felt the impetus before other states and in 1909 the Committee on Provision for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic was formed, with the Superintendent of The Training School as its Secretary. As a result of the efforts of this Committee, laws were passed making medical inspection of school children compulsory, requiring the establishment of special classes in the public schools, retaining defectives in institutions, providing for sterilization, requiring the registration of feebleminded, allowing for the parole of certain males and prohibiting the marriage of feeble-minded or insane persons.