The Benevolent Society after World War I

My initial thoughts on the Benevolent Society (and other African American benevolent groups) were that these types of organizations slowly died out in the 1920s due to a variety of factors, such as World War I, the Great Migration, and (in the 1930s) the Great Depression. However, recent research has shown that this is not entirely true.

Cover page of the 1926 Proceedings of the annual convention of the Benevolent Society.

While at the Tennessee State Library and Archives last week, I found a copy of the Proceedings of the Fifty-eighth Delegated Assembly of the Benevolent Orders State of Tennessee. This assembly took place in Murfreesboro, Tennessee between August 9 and August 12, 1926. In addition to listing the speakers, what they spoke about, and the business of the annual meeting, a list of all of the presidents of every Benevolent Society lodge in the state can be found near the back of the book. This treasure trove lists the number of the lodge and the town it was located in. I am excited to spend some time in the near future combing through the proceedings to glean as much information about the structure and spread of the organization.

Another interesting insight from my initial look at the Proceedings is that this group was not solely confined to Middle Tennessee. Although the majority of lodges were located in towns across Middle Tennessee, there are also lodges in West Tennessee towns such as Humboldt and Jackson and East Tennessee towns such as Dayton and Chattanooga. I hope very soon to create a general map of all towns with lodges in 1926.

A partial list of lodges from the 1926 Proceedings

Beyond the 1926 Proceedings, I have found evidence of Benevolent Society lodges in Nashville well into the 1930s and beyond. The 1933 Nashville City Directory shows at least 4 Benevolent Society lodge halls still present at that period.

The 1933 Nashville City Directory shows the location of at least 4 Benevolent Society lodges.

In fact, one lodge listed as being located at 1338 Lewis Street can be found in the 1955 Nashville City Directory, making a strong argument for the persistence of the group well past World War I and the Great Depression.

1955 Nashville City Directory showing a Benevolent Society Hall remained at 1338 Lewis Street

While I am still working through various materials, I believe a strong argument can be made for the continuance of African American benevolent groups, and specifically the Benevolent Society, beyond the Great Depression and both World Wars.