The Order Of United Commercial Travelers Of America

The Order of United Commercial Travelers of America is a non-profit financial services membership organization that supports communities and causes across the United States and Canada. The organization was formed on January 16, 1888, by six men in Columbus, Ohio, to provide a society for traveling salesmen, or commercial travelers. The original objectives of the order were to aid its members and their dependents in financial and material matters, establish funds to indemnify members in case of disability or accidental death, establish a widows and orphans reserve fund, and obtain just and equitable favors for traveling salesmen. The organization is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The organization also operates as a secret society, aiming to unite and raise the moral and social caliber of its members. The organization’s officers adopted titles similar to those of other organizations of the day. The organization’s emblem consists of a gold crescent with a sample case suspended within the points of the crescent. The organization has local councils, regional councils, senior management, and home office staff, and insurance agents. Membership is open to both men and women aged 18 and above who have an interest in good citizenship and volunteering to improve their local communities. The organization is authorized to transact business within disability and life insurance lines.