|
 Emblems
Insurance
History of
the Order
Past State &
Supreme
Officers
Structure
Links to
Other Sites
|
|
History of the Order
1874 |
1890 |
1900 |
1910 |
1920 |
1930 |
1940 |
1950 |
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000
- 1910
 John A. Reddin, 1st Supreme Master of the 4th Degree. He would serve in this position until 1940. Between 1900 and 1910 there were no Assemblies nor Supreme Master. All District Marshalls reported to the National Board.
- 1912
- Through the lobbying efforts of the Order, Congress commissioned the Columbus Memorial Fountain and allocated $100,000 for the project. The unveiling took place in Washington D.C. on June 8th. President William Howard Taft with most of his cabinet and serveral Supreme Court Justices were on hand. 20,000 Knights were in the parade. The inscription reads: "To the memory of Christopher Columbus, whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind the new world."
- The Fourth Degree "bogus oath" surfaces in Seattle, Washington on September 1st. On October 12th (Columbus Day) Protestant groups issue a statement in which they criticized the bogus oath as "blasphemous ... upon the real oath."
- 1913
- The $500,000 endowment for Catholic University, was reached on December 6th. This was exactly five years after Cardinal Gibbons, Supreme Knight Hearn, and the committee signed the plan.
- 1914
- In 1914 the Order designated $50,000 to begin a Commission on Religious Prejudices. The board was to investigate sources of prejudice, conduct an education campaign, and support the Department of Justice in Libel cases. The commission was terminated on June 30, 1917. The number of Anti-Catholic publications dropped from sixty to two or three.
- 1916
- On March 19th Francisco Villa's attack on Columbus, New Mexico involving 250,000 National Guardsman was a catalyst for another project. Knights of El Paso Council #638 laid the foundation for K of C Recreation Centers which would be open to everyone, regardless of creed or color. Joseph I. Discoll, Daniel Long, and Joseph M. Nealon were the leaders.
- 1917
-
The United States entered World War I on April 6th.
-
The K of C War activities committee was established. Patrick H. Callahan was its chairman. The main focus was to establish Recreation Centers for American and allied soldiers under the banner of "Everyone Welcome, Everything Free". (Click image)
- 1918
- The Order raised $14,000,000 dollars and was given an additional $30,000,000 from a combined fund drive. Centers were opened in Andernack, Germany; Vladivostok, Siberia; Dublin, Ireland; Italy; and France.
- 1919
- The Knights of Columbus gave $35,000 to Cardinal Mercier for the restoration of the Louvain University which was destroyed by the Germans when they invaded Brussels in 1914.
|
