Praetorian Order
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The Modern Order of Praetorians, sometimes known as The Praetorians, was a
fraternal organization A fraternity (; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in the Western conce ...
founded in Dallas in 1898 or 1899 by Charles B. Gardner, who had formerly worked with the Home Forum and
Woodmen of the World WoodmenLife (officially Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society) is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1890, based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that operates a large privately held insurance company for its members. ...
. Despite early setbacks the Order thrived and in the early built the
Praetorian Building The Praetorian Building, also known as Stone Place Tower, was a 15-story, high-rise constructed in 1909 at Main Street and Stone Street in the Main Street District of downtown Dallas, Texas. It was regarded the first skyscraper in Texas and t ...
, the first skyscraper in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. Membership was open to men and women, and the Order once had 36,752 benefit members. This was up from 32,800 members at the end of 1919 and approximately 36,000 at the end of 1920. In 1923 the Order was active in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Colorado, New Mexico and Washington. The administrative organ of the Order was the Supreme Senate at the Praetorian building in Dallas. Local branches were called "Councils", of which there were 599 in 1923. Local officers included a "Sublime Augustus", "Seignor Tribune", "Junior Tribune", "Worthy Attorney", "Worthy Recorder", First and Second "Centurion", "Lygian", "Soothsayer", "Sentinel", "Praetorian Queen", "Worthy Physician" and "Official Musician". It became a
life insurance Life insurance (or life assurance, especially in the Commonwealth of Nations) is a contract A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typical ...
company in 1957.Axelrod, Alan ''International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders'' New York; Facts on File, inc 1997 p.16


See also

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List of general fraternities A fraternity or fraternal organization is an organized society of men associated together in an environment of companionship and brotherhood; dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and social development of its members. Service clubs, lineage so ...
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List of North American fraternal benefit orders A benefit society, fraternal benefit society, or fraternal benefit order is a voluntary association formed to provide mutual aid, benefit, for instance insurance for relief from sundry difficulties. Such organizations may be formally organized with ...


References

{{reflist Financial services companies established in 1898 Organizations established in 1898 Organizations based in Dallas Insurance companies based in Texas Fraternal orders