Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America®
Historical Timeline 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. 1911 The 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 WWI. 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 the 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 may 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. 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 (SIF), its philanthropic arm. 1965 Grace Grenco is elected president of the Grand Lodge of Florida, becoming the first woman to hold the office of 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 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 helps found the National Italian American Coordinating 16
Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America®
