ODD FELLOWS HISTORY

Odd Fellows is one of the oldest fraternal organizations, although it's early history is obscure. It is presumed that Odd Fellows gained popularity alongside other tradesmen's guilds as early as the 13th century in Europe, but the earliest surviving documentation of Odd Fellows existence is found in the meeting minutes of Aristarchus Oddfellow Lodge No. 9 in England, dated 12 March, 1748.

In larger cities, where many types of specific trades persons could be found, there would be many guilds specific to each trade. Guilds would provide training and mutual which they could use in unfortunate times, such as sickness, losing a job, or even death. But what about in smaller towns or for those who's trade didn't fit within an established guild? These "odd men out" found their guild in Odd Fellowship. Odd Fellowship has a history rich with fellowship, philanthropy, and community service. To this day, our guiding purpose is to "visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, and educate the orphan."

In 1819, a British expatriate living in Baltimore, Thomas Wildey (1782-1861), who joined Odd Fellows in England in 1804, decided to institute Odd Fellows in America with 4 other members. The American branch of Odd Fellows became known as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) in 1843. You can read a more detailed history of Odd Fellowship in North America here: https://odd-fellows.org/history/wildeys-odd-fellowship/

By 1900, there were over one million members of the IOOF, and today there are lodges in every state and in countries worldwide from Europe to the Caribbean to Africa and Australia and the Philippines. You can find a complete list of jurisdictions here: http://www.ioof.org/Jurisdictions.

The I.O.O.F. was also the first fraternal order to formally admit women, when it established Rebekah Lodges.

In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, many famous people were members of both the Odd Fellows and the Masons. Some famous Odd Fellows include:

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
US Chief Justice Earl Warren
Prime Minister William Churchill
King of Sweden Gustav V
King of Norway Olav V
California Governor Goodwin Knight
Iconic Lawman Wyatt Earp
Aviator Charles Lindbergh
Actor Charlie Chaplin

For more famous Odd Fellows and Rebekahs: https://odd-fellows.org/history/notable-odd-fellows/