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Short History of AAL

© AAL, as published in the Appleton Post-Crescent

In the late 1800s, Albert Voecks, council member of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Appleton, recognized the need for Lutherans to have affordable life insurance protection.

Low-cost insurance was only available through various lodges, known as fraternal beneficiary societies. The lodges conflicted with teachings of the Lutheran church because of their oaths, rituals and dress. Membership in one of these lodges was grounds for excommunication from the church.

Lutherans faced a serious dilemma - quit the lodge and lose the only family protection they could afford, or quit the church. Voecks had an idea: Establish an organization exclusively for Lutherans. One that provided affordable insurance without the troubles that came with lodge memberships.

His idea was shared with two other members of the church, Gottlieb Ziegler, the county school superintendent, and William Zuehlke, the assistant postmaster. Together, they began working in the late summer of 1899 to turn the idea into reality. In January 1902, John Grupe, owner of a local creamery and cheese factory, approached Voecks, Ziegler and Zuehlke with a new idea: a fraternal benefit society just for Lutherans.

It would include a system of local branches, groups of members in each congregation. The not-for-profit organization would provide both low-cost insurance and, through branches, the social benefits important to close-knit German Lutherans.

On Nov. 24, 1902, the state of Wisconsin issued a charter to the new fraternal benefit society, "Aid Association for Lutherans in Wisconsin and Other States." The dream - three years in the making - had come true.

The first officers were: Ziegler, president, Voecks, secretary, and Zuehlke, treasurer.

The roots of the people were German and in the early days, almost all records were printed in German. It was not until 1927 that the German language disappeared from the organization's official publication, Der Correspondent.

The home of Albert and Caroline Voecks on East Pacific Street in Appleton served as the only office for the first three years of AAL's existence. Here, the first certificates of membership were written out by hand at the Voecks' kitchen table.

AAL moved to the second floor of the Commercial Bank building in downtown Appleton in 1905, and to the second floor of the First National Bank building in 1914. By 1916, AAL had 10,000 members.

By 1920, 34 sales agents had been hired. By 1924, an agency system was developed with local agents reporting to a general agent who lived in the area.

The copyright of the article Short History of AAL in Lutheranism is owned by John L. Hoh, Jr.. Permission to republish Short History of AAL in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.