The National Fraternal Society of the Deaf Records
Scope and Contents
The records of the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf (NFSD) consist mainly of administrative files, correspondence, division files, financial records, publications, and degree point files.
The collection, which consists of approximately 85,000 pages, dates from 1900 to 2006. Most documents date from one of three eras: prior to 1930s, 1940s, and 1960s-1970s. The majority are part of a degree point system created in 1948. During the 1960s and 1970s, there was heavy correspondence mostly concerned with community services. The principal subjects in the collection are the operation and conventions of the NFSD, meeting minutes, programs related to business meetings and conventions, and a collection of membership cards.
Dates
- Creation: 1900 - 2006
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open to the public with no restrictions.
Photocopies may be made for scholarly research.
Biographical / Historical
At the time it was established, there was discrimination against Deaf people by insurance companies. At the Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint, during the alumni reunion in 1898, the graduates who were the members of a local fraternal order called McKinley Lodge No. 922 met and considered a proposal to establish a fraternal society for Deaf people. At the next reunion in 1901, they formally established the Fraternal Society of the Deaf as a mutual benefit organization. Later, it was incorporated by the State of Illinois. Those early members were often referred to as “The Coming Men of America.” However, the Fraternal Society of the Deaf wanted to offer insurance of various kinds and to be classified as a profit organization. To comply with the laws of the state of Illinois, they had to reorganize; in 1907 they took on the name National Fraternal Society of the Deaf (NFSD). Their stated goals were to provide life insurances including death and accident benefits, to serve as an advocate for the deaf, and to provide community service and recreational opportunities through divisional activities.
For 106 years, the NFSD had 168 divisions: the first one was founded as Chicago No. 1 in 1901 (sometimes referred to as the Grand Division) and the latest division was St. Augustine, Florida No. 168, established in 1991. The first convention ever held was in Chicago in 1903–conventions continued until the last one in Lake Buena Vista, Florida in 1999. At each convention, the NFSD attracted hundreds of its members for election of new officers, business meetings, and socializing. Each meeting ended with a formal banquet. The NFSD also provided training for field representatives to assist members in the selection of benefits and advise them on the formation of an estate.
Between 1901 and 1935, there was no permanent office, NFSD instead often used officers’ homes or rented space. It was not until 1936 NFSD owned a building at 433 South Oak Park Avenue in Chicago. Its last headquarters were at 1118 South Sixth Street in Springfield, Illinois in 2007.
Women started demanding admission to the NFSD in 1915. At the time, the NFSD’s organization work was the responsibility of the head of the family; the men rejected attempts to give the women equal membership. Women persisted until 1937, when the NFSD allowed them to form social auxiliaries. The purpose of these auxiliaries was promote the best interests of the division with which they were affiliated. In 1951, during the NFSD convention, it was agreed that women would be given regular insurance membership.
During the last decade of the 20th century, membership began to decrease. Due to changing laws across the country, Deaf people were able to purchase insurance at low cost from other insurance companies which often competed for their business. The NFSD agreed to merge with the Catholic Order of Foresters effective January 1, 2005 to transfer existing insurance coverage. As of January 1, 2007, the NFSD has no members or Divisions.
Extent
43.5 Linear Feet (66 document cases and 34 oversized boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
National Fraternal Society of the Deaf (NFSD) was an insurance business established in 1901.
Its purposes were to provide insurance to mainly Deaf members, to serve as an advocate for the Deaf, and to provide community service and recreational opportunities through divisional activities. The existing insurance coverage was transferred to the Catholic Order of Foresters in 2005. The NFSD disbanded in 2007.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The records of National Fraternal Society of the Deaf were donated to the Archives by the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf on September 2005 and January 2006.
Separated Materials
The Archives holds the photographs separately from this inventory. Please consult an archivist for more information.
General
List of the Grand Presidents of the NFSD
1901-1903 Peter N. Hellers
1903-1905 Francis P. Gibson
1905-1909 Jacob J. Kleinhans
1909-1912 E. Morris Bristol
1912-1927 Harry C. Anderson
1927-1929 Francis P. Gibson
1929-1931 Frederick J. Neesam
1931-1957 Arthur L. Roberts
1957-1967 L. Stephen Cherry
1967-1984 Frank B. Sullivan
1984-1993 Robert R. Anderson
1993-1996 Wayne D. Shook
1996-2006 Al Van Nevel
General
List of NFSD’S Conventions
1903 Chicago, Illinois
1905 Detroit, Michigan
1907 Cincinnati, Ohio
1909 Louisville, Kentucky
1912 Columbus, Ohio
1915 Omaha, Nebraska
1918 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1921 Atlanta, Georgia
1924 St. Paul, Minnesota
1927 Denver, Colorado
1931 Boston, Massachusetts
1935 Kansas City, Missouri
1939 Toronto, Canada
1943 Chicago, Illinois
1947 Los Angeles, California
1951 Chicago, Illinois
1955 Buffalo, New York
1959 Detroit, Michigan
1963 Memphis, Tennessee
1967 New York City, New York
1971 Chicago, Illinois
1975 New Orleans, Louisiana
1979 Toronto, Canada
1983 Denver, Colorado
1987 Secaucus, New Jersey
1991 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1995 Salt Lake City, Utah
1999 Lake Buena Vista, Florida
General
List of NFSD’s Divisions
No. 1 Chicago, IL No. 57 Rockford, IL No. 113 Vancouver, WA
No. 2 Detroit, MI No. 58 Springfield, IL No. 114 Westchester, NY
No. 3 Saginaw, MI No. 59 Davenport, IA No. 115 Queens, NY
No. 4 Louisville, KY No. 60 Worcester, MA No. 116 St. Augustine, FL
No. 5 Little Rock, AR No. 61 St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN No. 117 Montreal, CANADA
No. 6 Bellaire, OH No. 62 Ft. Worth, TX No. 118 Montreal, CANADA
No. 7 Nashua, NH No. 63 Dallas, TX No. 119 Hollywood, CANADA
No. 8 Dayton, OH No. 64 Denver, CO No. 120 Hamilton, CANADA
No. 9 Bay City, MI No. 65 Waterbury, CT No. 121 Kitchener, CANADA
No. 10 Cincinnati, OH No. 66 Bridgeport, CT No. 122 Ottawa, CANADA
No. 11 Evansville, IN No. 67 Springfield, MA No. 123 East Toronto, CANADA
No. 12 Nashville, TN No. 68 Waco, TX No. 124 Trenton, NJ
No. 13 Springfield, OH No. 69 Ogden, UT No. 125 Danville, KY
No. 14 Olathe, KS No. 70 Pittsfield, MA No. 126 Colorado Springs, CO
No. 15 Flint, mI No. 71 Bangor, ME No. 127 Ogden, UT
No. 16 Toledo, OH No. 72 Kenosha, WI No. 128 Baton Rouge, LA
No. 17 Milwaukee, WI No. 73 Birmingham, AL No. 129 Chicago, IL
No. 18 Columbus, OH No. 74 Sioux Falls, SD No. 130 Danville, KY (Aux)
No. 19 Michigan City, IN No. 75 Wichita, KS No. 131 Columbus, OH (Aux)
No. 20 Knoxville, tN No. 76 Spokane, WA No. 132 Cleveland, OH, (Aux)
No. 21 Cleveland, OH No. 77 Des Moines, IA No. 133 Portland, OR (Aux)
No. 22 Indianapolis, IN No. 78 Lowell, MA No. 134 Kansas City, MO (Aux)
No. 23 Brooklyn, NY No. 79 Berkeley-Oakland, CA No. 135 Dayton, OH (Aux)
No. 24 St. Louis, MO No. 80 Delavan, WI No. 136 Louisville, KY (Aux)
No. 25 New Haven, CT No. 81 Houston, TX No. 137 St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN (Aux)
No. 26 Holyoke, MA No. 82 Scranton, PA No. 138 Detroit, MI (Aux)
No. 27 Los Angeles, CA No. 83 Richmond, VA No. 139 Birmingham, AL (Aux)
No. 28 Atlanta, GA No. 84 Norfolk, VA No. 140 Chattanooga, TN
No. 29 Caney, KS No. 85 Johnstown, PA No. 141 Dallas, TX (Aux)
No. 30 Philadelphia, PA No. 86 Sioux City, IA No. 142 Chicago, IL (Aux)
No. 31 Kansas City, MO No. 87 Manhattan, NY No. 143 Knoxville, TN (Aux)
No. 32 Omaha, NE No. 88 Jacksonville, IL No. 144 Pittsburgh, PA (Aux)
No. 33 New Orleans, LA No. 89 Lewistown, ME No. 145 Seattle, WA (Aux)
No. 34 Kalamazoo, MI No. 90 Peoria, IL No. 146 Memphis, TN (Aux)
No. 35 Boston, MA No. 91 Jersey City, NJ No. 147 St. Louis, MO (Aux)
No. 36 Pittsburgh, PA No. 92 Bronx, NY No. 148 Toledo, OH (Aux)
No. 37 Hartford, CT No. 93 Columbia, SC No. 149 Hartford, CT (Aux)
No. 38 Memphis, TN No. 94 Charlotte, NC No. 150 Chicago, IL (Aux)
No. 39 Portland, ME No. 95 Durham, NC No. 151 Washington, DC (Aux)
No. 40 Buffalo, NY No. 96 Dubuque, IA No. 152 Los Angeles, CA (Aux)
No. 41 Portland, OR No. 97 Grand Rapids, MI No. 153 Indianapolis, IN (Aux)
No. 42 Newark, NJ No. 98 Toronto, CANADA No. 154 Akron, OH (Aux)
No. 43 Providence, RI No. 99 Duluth, MN No. 155 Gallaudet, Washington, DC
No. 44 Seattle, WA No. 100 Canton, OH No. 156 Austin, TX
No. 45 Utica, NY No. 101 Faribault, MN No. 157 Ottawa, CANADA
No. 46 Washington, DC No. 102 South Bend, IN No. 158 Tucson, AZ
No. 47 Baltimore, MD No. 103 Council Bluffs, IA No. 159 Mobile, AL
No. 48 Syracuse, NY No. 104 Ft. Wayne, IN No. 160 Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL
No. 49 Cedar Rapids, IA No. 105 Schenectady, NY No. 161 Morganton, NC
No. 50 Huntington, WV No. 106 Chicago, IL No. 162 Long Island, NY
No. 51 Albany, NY No. 107 Miami, FL No. 163 Frederick, MD
No. 52 Rochester, NY No. 108 Binghamton, NY No. 164 Norfolk, VA
No. 53 San Francisco, CA No. 109 Wilkinsburg, PA No. 165 Phoenix, AZ
No. 54 Reading, PA No. 110 San Diego, CA No. 166 Vancouver, WA
No. 55 Akron, OH No. 111 Eau Claire, WI No. 167 Greensboro, NC
No. 56 Salt Lake City No. 112 Sulphur, OK No. 168 St. Augustine, FL
Processing Information
The collection was partly processed in 2007, and it was completed on May 1, 2008.
- Title
- The National Fraternal Society of the Deaf Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Hedberg, Ulf
- Date
- Original finding aid May 1, 2008, ArchivesSpace version created October 12, 2023
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Gallaudet University Archives Repository