195:, in 1948 there remained about 1,100 members of the KOE in Pittsburgh alone, and that year the 53rd annual Knights of Equity convention, held again in Pittsburgh, was attended by 500 delegates from 11 cities of the East and Midwest. At the 1948 convention the group emphasized its patriotic nature, with assembled delegates demonstratively joining in a so-called "Freedom Pledge" to fight Communism. The Pittsburgh court also hosted annual St. Patrick's Day banquets, and in 1949 sponsored a football team.
123:
among them, to promote their material interests and well-being," in practice the organization served economic and political functions, lending aid to needy Irish immigrants and organizing to fight bigotry and discrimination against the Irish in
America. Of prime importance to the early organization were orphans, the indigent elderly, and financially strapped young men pursuing Catholic priesthood.
198:
In 1954 the
Knights of Equity added a women's auxiliary, known as the Daughters of Erin (DOE), to be composed of wives and sisters of KOE members. The DOE were to "aid the Knights of Equity financially, socially, and to further its aim, principles and causes," as well as to "participate in Catholic
122:
in 1895, making it one of the oldest Irish-Catholic organizations in
America. Although the group's articles of incorporation innocuously stated the group's purpose as the creation of "a spirit of mutual helpfulness among its members; to advance them intellectually and socially; and by co-operation
100:
established in the US in 1895 and still in active operation in the 21st century. The group is among the oldest Irish-Catholic membership associations in
America. With some 65 local chapters, called "courts," during its period of greatest influence, the group was an important
230:
There are two partial archival holdings dedicated to the
Knights of Equity, a small collection of early material at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, and a more extensive holding of later material dealing with Pittsburgh's Court 9, housed at the
183:
As their goals of non-discrimination, equal rights, and the financial security of Irish-Americans were accomplished over many decades, membership declined, and the social and philanthropic aspects of the organization gained increased importance.
29:
126:
Cleveland proved to be a fertile ground for organization, and the
Knights of Equity soon had established three local groups, known as "courts," in the city — the largest of which had some 5,000 members. Other Irish communities throughout the
163:
Membership in the organisation was open to men 21 years or older of Irish birth or extraction, who were practicing members of the
Catholic Church, and who resided in a city where the organization had a local court. The group functioned as a
155:(APA), an anti-Catholic secret society established in 1887. Working together with other Catholic groups, the Knights of Equity managed to isolate and neutralize the APA and its anti-immigrant nationalism by the end of the 19th century.
135:
soon followed the
Cleveland example, establishing local courts of their own. At the peak of the organization's size and influence during its first decade, the Knights of Equity included some 65 local courts stretching from
581:
105:
political and fraternal benefit society. The early society organized Irish
Catholics in America against discrimination and gave financial aid to impoverished Irish immigrants.
299:
175:
The organization is governed by an executive body known as the
Supreme Council, headed by a chief executive officer known as the Worthy Supreme Sir Knight (WSSK).
460:
442:
596:
422:
392:
571:
191:. As early as 1908 the organization held its ninth annual convention in that city, a three-day affair attended by 500 members from 63 cities. Following
601:
538:
The Cyclopaedia of Fraternities: A Compilation of Existing Authentic Information...of More Than Six Hundred Secret Societies in the United States.
148:
576:
616:
324:
275:
621:
591:
152:
611:
606:
244:
586:
355:
232:
188:
132:
464:
200:
97:
128:
147:
In its earliest incarnation, the Knights of Equity was part of the broad Catholic reaction to the
206:
As of 2012 three active Knights of Equity Courts remain: "Court 9" in Pittsburgh, "Court 5" in
207:
279:
447:
187:
The center of the Knights of Equity's organizational strength over many decades has been in
141:
555:
119:
102:
59:
510:
From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890–1967.
249:
165:
94:
86:
565:
219:
192:
55:
382:. Council for Christian Social Action of the United Church of Christ, 1964; pg. 8.
278:
Knights of Equity online finding aid, Western Reserve Historical Society, 2000.
28:
438:
480:
367:
343:
169:
63:
493:
215:
211:
137:
235:. The Pittsburgh material is available on three reels of microfilm.
168:, making use of esoteric ritual, including a four-degree system of
550:
73:
517:
Fifty Million Brothers: A Panorama of American Lodges and Clubs.
302:
Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Library System, 2003.
329:
Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2004; pg. 97.
144:
in the West, and from the Canada–US border to the Mid-South.
512:
Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2000.
300:"Knights of Equity Court #9 Records: Summary Information,"
540:
New York: Hamilton Printing and Publishing Company, 1899.
274:
Lonnie McCauley, Deborah Shell, and Michael McCormick,
443:"Knights of Equity Arrange Banquet St. Patrick's Day"
358:
Phoenix Masonry Museum, www.phoenixmasonry.org, 2010.
556:"Knights of Equity Membership of U.S. Politicians."
69:
51:
43:
35:
346:www.knightsofequity.com/ Retrieved 26 April 2012.
483:updated September 2007, www.knightsofequity.com
118:The Knights of Equity (KOE) was established in
370:revised November 2001, www.knightsofequity.com
199:action and contribute to charity" and "foster
16:American Irish Catholic fraternal organization
222:and conducts other philanthropic activities.
8:
582:Ethnic fraternal orders in the United States
461:"Knights of Equity Grid Team Seeks Victory".
326:Ed Delahanty in the Emerald Age of Baseball.
21:
524:A Dictionary of Secret and Other Societies.
20:
418:
416:
414:
526:St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1924.
439:"History of Court Nine, Pittsburgh, PA"
260:
519:New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1937.
476:
474:
294:
292:
290:
288:
270:
268:
266:
264:
533:Westport, CT.: Greenwood Press, 1980.
356:"Catholic Orders: Knights of Equity,"
339:
337:
335:
7:
423:"Knights of Equity Open Convention,"
393:"Knights of Equity Plan Big Meeting"
597:Irish-American culture in Cleveland
276:"History of the Knights of Equity,"
14:
572:Organizations established in 1895
27:
558:compiled by Lawrence Kestenbaum
250:Irish-American – Discrimination
153:American Protective Association
602:Irish-American culture in Ohio
496:Daughters of Erin, April 2009.
1:
481:"Daughters of Erin: History,"
344:"Why? The Knights of Equity,"
298:ULS Archives Service Center,
536:Albert Clark Stevens (ed.),
380:Social Action, Volumes 31–32
577:1895 establishments in Ohio
245:Ancient Order of Hibernians
218:. The group today provides
638:
441:. knightsofequity.com and
617:Catholic fraternal orders
314:Irish Voice, 1992; pg. 8.
26:
531:Fraternal Organizations.
312:Irish America: Volume 8.
233:University of Pittsburgh
189:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
133:Midwestern United States
64:American fraternal order
465:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
368:"Supreme Council News,"
622:Irish secret societies
592:Irish-American culture
494:"Presidential Pearls,"
492:Mara Scanlon-Roberts,
109:Organizational history
98:fraternal organization
90:
612:History of Pittsburgh
522:Arthur Pruess, (ed.)
515:Charles W. Ferguson,
149:Protestant chauvinism
607:History of Cleveland
428:16 Sep 1948, pg. 27.
397:The Pittsburgh Press
451:. 12 February 1922.
323:Jerrold I. Casway,
210:, and "Court 6" in
74:knightsofequity.org
23:
529:Alvin J. Schmidt,
468:. 16 October 1949.
437:See, for example:
587:Lineage societies
426:Pittsburgh Press,
226:Archival holdings
208:Buffalo, New York
179:Later development
83:Knights of Equity
79:
78:
22:Knights of Equity
629:
551:Official website
508:David T. Beito,
497:
490:
484:
478:
469:
458:
452:
448:Pittsburgh Press
435:
429:
420:
409:
408:
406:
404:
389:
383:
377:
371:
365:
359:
353:
347:
341:
330:
321:
315:
309:
303:
296:
283:
272:
151:espoused by the
142:Sioux City, Iowa
31:
24:
637:
636:
632:
631:
630:
628:
627:
626:
562:
561:
547:
505:
503:Further reading
500:
491:
487:
479:
472:
459:
455:
436:
432:
421:
412:
402:
400:
399:. 1 August 1908
391:
390:
386:
378:
374:
366:
362:
354:
350:
342:
333:
322:
318:
310:
306:
297:
286:
282:also available.
273:
262:
258:
241:
228:
181:
161:
140:in the East to
120:Cleveland, Ohio
116:
111:
62:
17:
12:
11:
5:
635:
633:
625:
624:
619:
614:
609:
604:
599:
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
564:
563:
560:
559:
553:
546:
545:External links
543:
542:
541:
534:
527:
520:
513:
504:
501:
499:
498:
485:
470:
453:
430:
410:
384:
372:
360:
348:
331:
316:
304:
284:
259:
257:
254:
253:
252:
247:
240:
237:
227:
224:
180:
177:
166:secret society
160:
157:
115:
112:
110:
107:
95:Irish Catholic
77:
76:
71:
67:
66:
53:
49:
48:
45:
41:
40:
37:
33:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
634:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
569:
567:
557:
554:
552:
549:
548:
544:
539:
535:
532:
528:
525:
521:
518:
514:
511:
507:
506:
502:
495:
489:
486:
482:
477:
475:
471:
467:
466:
462:
457:
454:
450:
449:
444:
440:
434:
431:
427:
424:
419:
417:
415:
411:
398:
394:
388:
385:
381:
376:
373:
369:
364:
361:
357:
352:
349:
345:
340:
338:
336:
332:
328:
327:
320:
317:
313:
308:
305:
301:
295:
293:
291:
289:
285:
281:
277:
271:
269:
267:
265:
261:
255:
251:
248:
246:
243:
242:
238:
236:
234:
225:
223:
221:
217:
213:
209:
204:
202:
196:
194:
190:
185:
178:
176:
173:
171:
167:
158:
156:
154:
150:
145:
143:
139:
134:
130:
124:
121:
114:Establishment
113:
108:
106:
104:
99:
96:
92:
88:
84:
75:
72:
68:
65:
61:
57:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
25:
19:
537:
530:
523:
516:
509:
488:
463:
456:
446:
433:
425:
401:. Retrieved
396:
387:
379:
375:
363:
351:
325:
319:
311:
307:
229:
220:scholarships
205:
197:
193:World War II
186:
182:
174:
162:
146:
125:
117:
82:
80:
36:Abbreviation
18:
280:PDF version
201:Americanism
91:Ridirí Córa
566:Categories
256:References
170:initiation
159:Membership
44:Formation
403:28 April
239:See also
216:Michigan
103:Catholic
93:) is an
60:Catholic
212:Detroit
129:Eastern
85:(KOE) (
70:Website
138:Boston
87:Irish
56:Irish
405:2012
131:and
81:The
52:Type
47:1895
203:."
39:KOE
568::
473:^
445:.
413:^
395:.
334:^
287:^
263:^
214:,
172:.
89::
407:.
58:-
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
