The Fraternal Order of Eagles was founded on February 6, 1898. The organization was formed by six theater owners sitting on a pile of lumber in Robert Moran’s shipyard in Seattle, Washington. They were competitors who had come together to discuss a musicians’ strike. After deciding how to handle the strike, they agreed to “bury the hatchet” and form an organization dubbed, “The Order of Good Things.”

Early meetings were held on local theater stages and after taking care of business, attendees rolled out a keg of beer and enjoyed social time. As numbers grew, participants selected the Bald Eagle as the official emblem and changed the name to “The Fraternal Order of Eagles.” In April, 1898, the membership formed a Grand Aerie, secured a charter and developed a constitution and by-laws, with John Cort elected the Eagles’ first president.

Touring theater troupes are credited with much of the Eagles’ rapid growth. Most early members were actors, stagehands and playwrights who as they toured, carried the Eagles story across the United States and Canada.

The organization’s success is also attributed to its funeral benefits (no Eagle was ever buried in a Potter’s Field), the provision of an aerie physician and many other benefits. The Eagles pushed for the founding of Mother’s Day, provided the impetus for Social Security and pushed to end job discrimination based on age. The Eagles have provided support for medical centers across the country to build and provide research for medical conditions. They raise millions of dollars every year to combat heart disease and cancer, help handicapped kids, and uplift the aged and others.

History of the Aerie

In nature, an aerie is the lofty nest of any bird of prey, such as an eagle or a hawk. Therefore in the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the word Aerie serves as the name of the building in which the group regularly meets and in which it hosts events.

History of the Auxiliary

A “new era for the women of Eagledom” was launched when an amendment to the Grand Aerie Laws passed unanimously, establishing a Grand Auxiliary. The event took place during the 1951 Grand Aerie Convention in Rochester, New York, August 8-12.  While the institution date of the Grand Auxiliary is 1951, Eagles Auxiliaries existed long before the Grand Auxiliary was formed, with the first dating back to March 24, 1927 in Pittsburgh, Kansas. Three days later, the second Auxiliary was instituted in Frontenac, Kansas. By March, 1951, 965 local Auxiliaries were in existence, boasting 130,000 members. By the end of that year, 22 state and provincial Auxiliaries were operating.