Modern Woodmen of America marks 120th anniversary

Jan. 5, 2003 marks Modern Woodmen of America's 120th anniversary of keeping our promise to improve members' quality of life. Founded in 1883 by Joseph Cullen Root in Lyons, Iowa, the fraternal life insurance organization moved to Rock Island, IL in 1887.

Root dreamed of a fraternal benefit society designed to provide financial security for families from all walks of life. As he sat at a Sunday service listening to a minister talk about "the work of the pioneer woodmen clearing away the forest," it occurred to him that this was a fitting analogy for the task of eliminating a man's financial burdens in the event of his death. Thus, he chose Modern Woodmen for the name of his new benefit society. The phrase "of America" was added later to signify the group's patriotism.

Root envisioned a self-governing society whose members came from local camps (lodges) across America. The lodge system, which remains in effect today, nurtures community spirit by bringing families together for social, educational and volunteer service activities.

Today Modern Woodmen serves more than 750,000 members nationwide and defines its mission as improving the quality of life for members. Nearly 1,100 full- and part-time agents across the country and 460 employees at the home office in Rock Island work to that end, to help families attain financial security, provide opportunities for positive family-life activities and give back to communities in which members live.

The organization has added two wholly owned subsidiaries since 2001, broker-dealer MWA Financial Services, and MWABank, one of only a few direct banks in the United States.

Modern Woodmen of America is a fraternal life insurance organization based in Rock Island, Ill., offering life insurance, annuity, investment and banking products, along with fraternal member benefits for families and their communities.

For additional information, contact Kim Woodward; (309) 793-5660