PUBLIC "-//Library of Virginia//TEXT (US::Vi::04979::A Guide to the Independent Order of St. Luke Records, 1897-1945)//EN" "04979.xml" A Guide to the Independent Order of St. Luke Records, 1897-1945 50950 Samantha Way Library of Virginia © 2018 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MARC record by , 18 December 2018 Description is in English A Guide to the Independent Order of St. Luke Records, 1897-1945 A Collection in the Library of Virginia 50950

Library of Virginia 2018 Samantha Way Library of Virginia Descriptive Summary The Library of Virginia Independent Order of St. Luke Records, 1897-1945 50950 .80 cubic feet (2 boxes) English Independent Order of St. Luke Administrative Information Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Independent Order of St. Luke Records, 1897-1945. Accession 50950. Organization Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Ryan K. Smith

 Biographical Information

The Independent Order of St. Luke was established in Baltimore, Maryland in 1867 by Mary Prout, a formerly enslaved woman, in order to provide members with life, disability, and burial insurance. The Order also provided members with mortgages and educational loans, championed numerous humanitarian causes, and served as a social organization for its members. The Order nearly became defunct under the leadership of William Forrest, and was revitalized in 1899 when Maggie L. Walker became head of the organization, a position she held until her death in 1934. Under the leadership of Walker, the Order established the Juvenile Department and expanded membership to over 100,000 members in 24 states. Though members of the Order included both men and women, the Order largely focused on the needs of its female members. After Walker's death, the Order continued to serve the Richmond community, and was formally disbanded in the 1980's.

Scope and Content

Records, 1897-1945, of the Independent Order of St. Luke include applications, benefit certificates, and death records of members of the organization's Juvenile Department. Applications detail the name, date of birth, age, and address of the applicant, as well as name of beneficiary and their relationship to the applicant. Applications also include the amount of required monthly dues, as well as the amount of term life insurance. Benefit certificates include the number and amount of the insurance policy, the name and assigned "Juvenile Circle" of the newly insured, as well the terms and conditions of the insurance policy. Death records include the name of deceased, as well as the location and date of their death. Collection also includes death claim receipts, which detail the amount and date of payments to beneficiaries, as well as some correspondence. Correspondence includes that of beneficiaries to the Office of the Juvenile Department of the Order of St. Luke, as well as some internal correspondence between employees. Several letters are addressed to Maggie L. Walker. Collection also contains notecards that detail the name, age, council number, certificate and claim number, and cause of death of adult members of the organization.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged according to the original order.

 Contents List Virginia Harris, 1940-1941 1 1 Frederick Marshall, 1940-1941 1 2 Helen Thomas, 1938-1941 1 3 Lucille Mickey, 1939-1942 1 4 Howard E. Cotton, 1927-1940 1 5 Lucile Sears, 1935-1941 1 6 Samuel Hughes, 1940-1941 1 7 Helen E. Evans, 1937-1942 1 8 Gladys M. Barrett, 1935-1940 1 9 Corrine Adams, 1938-1940 1 10 Maszie Merchant, 1935-1940 1 11 Cornelia Powell, 1937-1941 1 12 Austin Barbor, 1940-1941 1 13 Fannie Mercer, 1940-1941 1 14 James Diggs, 1938-1941 1 15 Alonzo Fairfax, 1938-1941 1 16 Catherine Solomon, 1941-1942 1 17 Mary Wilkerson, 1937-1942 1 18 Clarence Jones, 1942 1 19 Charlie Lewis, 1941-1942 1 20 Celestine Mitchell, 1942 1 21 Vernon Clark, 1942 1 22 Norman Allen, 1937-1942 1 23 Earl Hinton, 1941-1942 1 24 William Smith, 1938-1942 1 25 James Mason, Jr., 1942-1943 1 26 Mary Dillahunt, 1941-1943 1 27 Rebecca Pauline, 1935-1943 1 28 Susie Dillard, 1942-1943 1 29 Virginia Scott, 1940-1943 1 30 Marshall C. Jones, 1942-1943 1 31 Geneive Johnson, 1942-1943 1 32 Alonzo A. Joyner, 1929-1943 1 33 Mabel C. Johnson, 1930-1943 1 34 Benjamin L. Jones, 1933-1943 1 35 Elizabeth Logan, 1930-1943 1 36 Corrine Elizabeth Williams, 1941-1944 1 37 Thomas Pettway, 1931-1944 1 38 Joseph Grant, Jr., 1943-1944 1 39 Henry Johnson, 1942-1944 1 40 Hattie Broader, 1941-1944 1 41 Crystal Johnson, 1943-1944 1 42 Catherine Travis, 1943-1944 1 43 Mollie Berger, 1944 1 44 Sally L. Dillegaird, 1944 1 45 Joe L. Harris (Brown?), 1944-1945 1 46 Mary E. Richardson, 1938-1945 1 47 Barbara Brummel, 1944-1945 1 48 Paul L. Holland, 1944-1945 1 49 Sandra J. Wilson, 1944-1945 1 50 Frances Wars, 1942-1945 1 51 Forster Low, 1944-1945 1 52 Mattieline Gayles, 1942-1945 1 53 Sallie Smith, 1934 1 54 Correspondence, 1932 1 55 Insurance Policy Notecards, 1897-1943 2