An Important Date In History

Today is a significant day in the history of UCT North America. Even though UCTNA is no longer a part of United Commercial Travelers, our heritage is very much alive in the history of UCT. On January 8, 1888 founders John C. Fenimore, Levi C. Pease, Charles Benton Flagg, with five others, assembled at the Neil House Hotel on January 8, 1888 in Columbus, Ohio to discuss the beginnings of an organization dedicated to commercial travelers for the purpose of providing accident insurance for traveling salesmen, protecting the rights of its members and aiding those dependent upon them. UCT was instituted eight days later on January, 16, 1888.

The life of a traveling salesman in the mid to late 19th century was far from romantic. Transportation generally consisted of a day coach on a train and then a horse and buggy provided by the local livery stable for local travel. Many salesmen were away from their homes and loved ones for months on end. It was a rough and often hazardous way to make a living as accidents - often fatal accidents - occurred frequently.

In these days before the safety nets of group insurance, hospital insurance and workers compensation, affordable financial protection for traveling salesmen and assistance for their families was nearly non-existent. UCT’s founders believed the fraternal benefit system, begun in 1886 to provide greater privileges and opportunities to working people than those offered by the existing trade unions, provided an ideal framework for filling this need for protection, and so UCT was founded.