The Travelers Protective Association Of America

The Travelers Protective Association of America is a fraternal benefit and service club based in the United States. Originally created by and for traveling salesmen, it is now open to other occupational groups. The organization was formally established in June 1882 in Bellefontaine, Ohio, with the original goals of obtaining special concessions from hotels, railroads, and transportation agencies, and advocating on behalf of their members. By 1890, the group added an accident insurance benefit to remain active and moved its headquarters from Chicago to St. Louis. The organization was initially open only to executives of manufacturing, wholesale or “jobbing” businesses and their sales representatives, but by 1979 it was open to all male traveling salesmen between 18 and 55 and people from other occupational groups could be admitted by a special review of the board of directors. Women were accepted as members of the TPAA effective January 1, 1993. The association is set up on the typical three-tiered fraternal system with local chapters known as “posts”, state groups called “state divisions”. The national organization is based in St. Louis. Currently, the association has 35 state divisions, 261 posts and is licensed to sell insurance in 38 states. The company is authorized to transact business within disability and life insurance lines.