A Century of Progress Timeline: 1905 - 2005
OSIA's long history begins in 1905 with its founding in New York City's Little Italy neighborhood. Click on a decade below to read about the progress of the organization through the century right up to today, as OSIA prepares to celebrate its 105th anniversary.
1900s |
1910s |
1920s |
1930s |
1940s |
1950s |
1960s |
1970s |
1980s |
1990s |
2000s
1905
June 22 - OSIA founded as "Figli d'Italia" at 203 Grand Street in New York City at the office and residence of Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro. (Later renamed "L'Ordine Figli d'Italia in America.") A week later, Dr. Sellaro is elected first "Supreme Venerable" or president.
1906
OSIA has eight lodges in New York and one in New Jersey.
1911
Grand Lodge of New York becomes first state chapter; puts a representative on Ellis Island to help new Italian immigrants.
1913
OSIA encourages members to join unions and support labor protests such as the Paterson textile workers strike in New Jersey.
1914
OSIA holds first convention in Paterson, N.J. Beginning in 1917 in Cleveland, OSIA begins holding conventions every two years.
1915
OSIA publishes the weekly Bollettino Ufficiale. In 1946 the Bollettino is replaced with OSIA News, a monthly newspaper. In 1996, the newspaper is replaced with Italian America, a full-color quarterly magazine free to all members.
1917
President Woodrow Wilson receives OSIA leaders at the White House. Since then, every U.S. president has publicly acknowledged the contributions of OSIA, including Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
1918
An estimated 28,000 OSIA members serve in the U.S. armed forces during World War I. Of these 1,278 are wounded and 975 killed. OSIA gives subsidies to servicemen's families.
OSIA lodges contribute $2 million and 3.5 million lire for war victims, Liberty Loans (war bonds), the Red Cross and post-war loans to Italian government.
OSIA establishes free English language and citizenship classes for members.
1919
OSIA takes over administration of Antonio Meucci's home on Staten Island, N.Y. In 1956, OSIA turns Meucci home into the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, a center for Italian culture and language learning. Today it is one of only two 2 ethnic museums in the U.S. with landmark status. [Ed. Note: the actual date of the OSIA takeover is disputed. It might have been in 1913 or 1914.]
1922
The government of Italy designates OSIA its official representative of Italians in the United States. OSIA sponsors student exchanges and annual pilgrimages to Italy where OSIA leaders meet with the Pope, the king of Italy and government leaders.
1924
The eight largest Grand Lodges enroll more than 80,000 members in their sickness and death insurance programs.
1927
OSIA protests the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti.
1930
OSIA membership peaks at 350,000 in more than 1,000 lodges coast to coast.
1931
Louise Porreca becomes first woman to serve on Supreme Council when she is elected a Supreme trustee.
1932
OSIA founder, Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro dies on November 28 of diabetes and heart disease at age 64.
OSIA enrolls 1,500 young Italian Americans in 12 youth lodges during a mass meeting in New York City. Eventually 366 youth lodges were created, 132 of them in Massachusetts.
1942
OSIA hires Leonard Pasqualicchio as its first national deputy to lobby in Washington, D.C. He served until 1957. Among his achievements, he convinces government to drop wartime "enemy alien" designation of non-naturalized Italians living in America and presses successfully for federal government to include Italy in the Marshall Plan to rebuild post-war Italy.
1947
OSIA launches letter-writing campaign urging members' relatives in Italy not to vote Communist in the first democratic election in Italy's history.
1954
OSIA steps up campaign to make Columbus Day a federal holiday. In 1932 the Order began lobbying Congress and the White House for this holiday.
1959
OSIA establishes Sons of Italy Foundation, its philanthropic arm.
1963
OSIA initiates letter-writing campaign to make Columbus Day a holiday.
1965
Grace Grenco is elected president of the Grand Lodge of Florida, becoming the first woman to hold the office of OSIA grand lodge president.
OSIA supports passage of the 1965 Immigration Act which abolishes the 1924 McCarran-Walter Act that discriminated against southern Europeans by establishing unfairly low quotas.
1968
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs law designating the second Monday in October as "Columbus Day" and a federal holiday.
1971
President Richard M. Nixon receives the OSIA Marconi Award during a ceremony at the White House.
1973
OSIA helps create the Italian American Congressional Caucus, uniting for the first time all the Italian Americans serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
OSIA also helps found the National Italian American Coordinating Association, a federation of national Italian American organizations now known as the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations.
1979
President Jimmy Carter addresses OSIA'S 36th Biennial Convention in Baltimore.
1980
OSIA celebrates its 75th anniversary. U.S. Congress proclaims June 22 "National Italian American Day"
President Jimmy Carter awards OSIA member and WW II veteran Anthony Casamento the Medal of Honor, following OSIA's three-year campaign.
1981
OSIA purchases a building for its national headquarters and hires a full-time national executive director in Washington, D.C. From 1905 to 1955, the headquarters was in New York City and, later, Philadelphia.
1982
OSIA establishes the Commission for Social Justice (CSJ), its anti-defamation arm.
1984
SIF approves $100,000 project to record and preserve OSIA archives at the University of Minnesota's Immigration History Research Center.
1985
OSIA elects first women to Supreme Council: Josephine Falco, National Recording Secretary; Margaret Montemuro, National Financial Secretary; Joanne L. Strollo, Fourth National Vice President and Giulia Besozzi, Supreme Trustee.
Establishes the Douhet-Mitchell International Airpower Trophies, given annually to two outstanding Italian and American staff officers.
1989
SIF holds first National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala in Washington, D.C. to honor outstanding Italian American students and leaders.
OSIA archives at the University of Minnesota's Immigration History Research Center are opened. Its 1,200-plus linear feet make it the largest collection of Italian American resource materials in the United States.
1993
Joanne L. Strollo elected OSIA's first woman national president.
1998
President Bill Clinton becomes the first U.S. president to attend the SIF's NELA gala, and attends again in 1999 and 2000.
2002
OSIA delegation makes first official visit of 21st century to Italy to meet with Italian government, business and culture leaders including the president of Italy, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
2004
President George W. Bush and Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi attend the 16th annual NELA gala. It was the first time a sitting U.S. president and a prime minister of Italy attended a major non-profit event in America together.
OSIA holds pilgrimage to Italy to kick off upcoming centennial year celebrations. Delegation meets with then-Pope John Paul II, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and other government officials and holds gala dinner in Rome.
Grand Street in New York City is re-named "Sons of Italy Way."
2005
OSIA celebrates its 100th anniversary. Since its founding it has established more than 2,800 lodges in 43 states and the District of Columbia.
2008
The SIF holds the 20th Anniversary National Education & Leadership Awards Gala in Washington, D.C., celebrating two decades of honoring Italian American achievement.
2009
The SIF marks its 50th Anniversary with more than $108 million given to support education, medical research, disaster relief, cultural preservation and other projects.
Vice President Joe Biden becomes the first individual not of Italian ancestry to receive the SIF's top honor, the National Education & Leadership Award.
2010
The Order Sons of Italy in America is 105 years young at heart!
