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UCT History and Background UCT was founded in 1888 in Columbus, Ohio, by eight traveling salesmen (commercial travelers) for the purpose of providing accident insurance for traveling salesmen, protecting the rights of its members and aiding those dependent upon them. The life of a traveling salesman in the mid to late 19th century was far from romantic. Transportation generally consisted of a day coach on a train and then a horse and buggy provided by the local livery stable for local travel. Many salesmen were away from their homes and loved ones for months on end. It was a rough and often hazardous way to make a living as accidents - often fatal accidents - occurred frequently. In these days before the safety nets of group insurance, hospital insurance and workers compensation, affordable financial protection for traveling salesmen and assistance for their families was nearly non-existent. UCT's founders believed the fraternal benefit system, begun in 1886 to provide greater privileges and opportunities to working people than those offered by the existing trade unions, provided an ideal framework for filling this need for protection, and so UCT was founded. Today, UCT offers insurance products, fraternal benefits, and opportunities for community service involvement to individuals from all walks of life. UCT has no religious or political affiliations. The Supreme (United States and Canada) Council is UCT's governing body and is responsible for the organization's overall development. Members working in Grand (state and regional) and local councils carry out the majority of the organization's fraternal and community service projects. |
Founders John C. Fenimore, Levi C. Pease, and
Charles Benton Flagg assembled with interested parties at the Neil House on
Jan. 8, 1888, in Columbus, Ohio, to coordinate the beginning of an organization dedicated to
commercial travelers. UCT was chartered eight days later on Jan. 16, 1888.
UCT's original headquarters, left, was located at Gay and Front Streets in
Columbus.
UCT's second home, right, was the Denison-Peters house, purchased by UCT in 1903.
Formerly owned by William Dennison Jr., Ohio's governor from 1860 to 1862,
the
house was demolished and the ground broken on the same site in 1923 for UCT's third
home office.
The first appearance of UCT as an organization was the Commercial Day parade down High
Street
during Ohio's centennial in September 1888. |
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