ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN (A.O.U.W.)

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ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN (A.O.U.W.). John Jordan Upchurch formed this organization in 1868 in Meadsville, Pennsylvania. He wanted an organization that would be more responsive to the needs of its members and unite the conflicting interests of labor and management. The word “Workmen” was chosen as part of the new order’s name because its purpose was to serve and attract men in the mechanical trades. Only two years after the AOUW was formed, however, the order broadened its membership requirements to permit other occupations. The emblems and symbols used by the A.O.U.W. were very similar to those of the Masonic order, featuring the All-Seeing Eye, the Holy Bible, Anchor and Square and Compasses, over which the motto "Charity, Hope and Protection" were displayed. It even had three independent degrees as a rite of passage into the order.

During the society’s first year of existence there was as much emphasis on improving unfavorable conditions for workingmen as there was on its insurance fund, which allowed no more than $500 to be paid to the “legal heirs of a deceased member.” Most historians of fraternal insurance, however, credit the A.O.U.W. as being the first fraternal group that introduced fraternal insurance. (1)

The real emphasis on fraternal insurance began on October 6, 1869. (2) The amended article stated that each initiated new member paid $1.00 to the insurance fund. After a member died, his beneficiaries received $2,000. Depleted funds were to be restored by each member contributing another $1.00. This procedure was to be repeated each time the fund required restoration. This method was known as the post-mortem plan or the assessment-as-needed plan. If any member failed to pay his $1.00 fee in thirty days, he forfeited his membership in the order. If a subordinate lodge failed to forward the amount of the insurance fund in twenty days, it lost its charter. To offer workingmen life insurance was a new idea in the late 1860s, especially when the idea of American insurance was less than twenty years old at that time. Before , insurance had been available only to businessmen and manufacturers. Because there were many bankruptcies of commercial life insurance firms, A.O.U.W. leaders were convinced that life insurance would succeed only in fraternal societies where overhead expenses would be small.

Iowa Lodge No. 11 was organized on December 17, 1874. Meetings were held every Friday evening in the hall on the corner of Main and Fourth Streets. (3)

The AOUW, compared to numerous other fraternal benefit societies, was quite progressive. It took the initiative of calling together a number of fraternal benefit societies in 1886. This action caused sixteen fraternal benefit groups to form the National Fraternal Congress in that same year. This cooperative association worked to establish uniform and sound insurance practices among all fraternal benefit societies. The National Fraternal Congress is still in existence today with 121 member societies.

Disagreements with the national organization occurred as early as 1879 when the Grand Lodge of Iowa decided that assessments issued by the for the benefit of yellow fever sufferers in southern states were void and would not be collected. (4) The action was taken to court by the Supreme Lodge located in Kentucky. The circuit court in Black Hawk County found against the Grand Lodge of Iowa which appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court. In the case of The State of Iowa on the relation of W. R. Graham, et al. vs. G. R. Miller, et al, appellants, the Supreme Court reversed the circuit court. The court found no evidence that the fraternal aims of the organization had never been enforced. The aims of the organization in relation to the beneficiary fund had been enforced and therefore the organization should be seen as only an insurance company. As such an company, the A. O. U. W. had never shown it had the required capital to operate in Iowa. The $18 million in insurance held by Iowans was guaranteed. (5)

Apparently this decision closed down the Iowa lodges of the organization. In 1882 past-grandmaster Henry Boteler FOUKE attempted to preserve the unity of the organization between the state and national levels, but failed. The new Iowa Lodge No. 11 of the A.O.U.W. was organized on July 13, 1888 in Dubuque. It was stated that this lodge would be "loyal" and would pay the assessments levied by the Supreme Lodge of the United States. (6) By 1887, the A.O.U.W. had more than 176,000 members in 3,200 member groups (called lodges) across the country.

Dubuque was chosen as the site of the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of Iowa in 1893. (7) It hosted the state convention again in 1917. (8)

The name of the organization led to legal action in 1895. (9) Members seceding from the organization wished to use the name "Grand Lodge Ancient Order of United Workmen of Iowa" and G.L.A.O.U.W. of Iowa. Although the A.O.U.W. knew that this new organization was doing insurance business and paying insurance claims for five years, it took no action. The Iowa Supreme Court in January 1896, the A.O.U.W. had to right to the exclusive use of the name and if it had, this right had been lost by not taking action earlier. (10)

In 1896 the national organization paid out $7.5 million in death benefits. In the twenty-eight years of its existence, over $72 million had been paid. (11)

In 1898 Dore Lodge, No. 14, Degree of Honor, Ancient Order of United Workmen, installed officers. These included. Mrs. Cullen, Past Chief of Honor; Mrs. S. C. Dike, Chief of Honor; Mrs. Whitby, Chief of Honor; Mrs. Lobdell, Chief of Ceremonies; Mrs. E. A. Rice, Recorder; Mrs. Blake, Finance; Mrs Carroll, Receiver; Mrs. Gibson, Usher; S. C. Dike, Inside Watch; and J. B. Gasson, Outside Watch.

The 35th anniversary of the organization in Dubuque was celebrated on October 28, 1901 with Central and Germania lodges assisted by Dore and Sunbeam lodges, Degree of Honor. (12)

The society revised its ritual a number of times. Every revision attempted to match the ritual and the order’s objectives. The religious qualities of the ritual were deleted from the revision of 1932.

The AOUW, which by 1885 was the largest fraternal benefit society in America, discontinued its supreme lodge structure in 1929. A congress was established in place of the supreme authority. In 1952 the AOUW dissolved or merged with various state societies. Washington was the only state where the society continued to exist. In other states the order frequently merged or converted to mutual insurance companies. (13)

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Source:

1. Ancient Order of United Workmen (A.O.U.W.) http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/fraternalism/aouw.htm

2. Ibid.

3. "Dubuque County Before 1880," Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal, November 12, 1913, p. 2

4. Untitled article. The Daily Herald, June 27, 1879 p. 2

5. "Supreme Court," The Dubuque Herald, April 23, 1885, p. 4

6. "A New Lodge," The Dubuque Daily Herald, July 14 1888, p. 4

7. "The A.O.U.W. Grand Lodge," The Herald, February 13, 1892, p. 4

8. "United Workmen Convention Ends," Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, June 14, 1917, p. 5

9. "The Lodge Fight," The Dubuque Herald, February 20, 1895, p. 8

10. "A.O.U.W. Decision," The Dubuque Herald, January 24, 1896, p. 8

11. "Meet to Disburse $460,000," The Dubuque Herald, January 12, 1897, p. 4

12. "Fraternal Societies," Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, October 27, 1901, p. 3

13. Ancient Order...