The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a
nonprofit organization of
U.S. war veterans headquartered in
Indianapolis,
Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of local posts. The organization was formed on March 15, 1919, in
Paris,
France, by a thousand
officers and men of the
American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.), and it was
chartered on September 16, 1919, by the
United States Congress.
The Legion played the leading role in the drafting and passing of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the "
G.I. Bill." In addition to organizing commemorative events, members provide assistance at
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics. It is active in issue-oriented U.S. politics. Its primary political activity is
lobbying on behalf of interests of
veterans and
service members, including support for
benefits such as pensions and the
Veterans Health Administration. It has also historically promoted
Americanism, individual obligation to the community, state, and nation; peace and good will.
History
The American Legion was established in
Paris,
France, March 15, 1919, by a thousand officers and men,
delegates from all the units of the
American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) to an organization
caucus meeting, which adopted a
tentative constitution. The action of the Paris meeting was confirmed and endorsed by a similar meeting held in
St. Louis, May 8 to 10, 1919, when the Legion was formally recognized by the troops who served in the United States. The Paris caucus appointed an Executive Committee of seventeen officers and men to represent the troops in France in the conduct of the Legion. The St. Louis caucus appointed a similar Committee of Seventeen. These two national executive committees amalgamated and were the initial governing body of the Legion. The temporary headquarters was located in
New York.
List of founding members
The men who initiated the formation of the Legion:
* Lt. Col.
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., of the
First Division
* Col.
Henry D. Lindsley, formerly
Mayor of Dallas, Texas
* Sgt. John J. Sullivan, of
Seattle
* Lt. Col.
Franklin D'Olier, of
Philadelphia
* Ex-
Senator Luke Lea, of
Tennessee
* Lt. Col. Frederick Huidekoper, of
Washington, D.C.
* Major Redmond C. Stewart, of
Baltimore
* Wagoner Dale Shaw, of
Iowa
* Lt. Col.
George A. White, of
Oregon
*
"Bill" Donovan, of the "
Fighting 69th"
* Major Thomas R. Gowenlock, of
Illinois
* Lt.
Earl B. Dickerson, of the
92nd Division
* Sgt.
Alvin York, of
Tennessee
* Col. John Price Jackson, of the
S. O. S.
* Lt. Col.
"Jack" Greenway, of
Arizona
* Sgt. Roy C. Haines, of
Maine
*
G. Edward Buxton, Jr., of
Rhode Island
*
Eric Fisher Wood, of
Pennsylvania
* Chaplain John W. Inzer, of
Alabama
* Lt. Col. David M. Goodrich, of
Akron
* Chief Petty Officer B. J. Goldberg, of
Chicago
* "Tom" Miller, of
Delaware
* Major Alex. Laughlin, Jr., of
Pittsburgh
* Major Henry Leonard, of the
Marine Corps
*
Dwight F. Davis, of the
35th Division
* Corporal Charles S. Pew, of
Montana
* Brig. Gen.
William G. Price, of the
28th Division
* Bishop
Charles H. Brent, Senior Chaplain of the
A. E. F.
* Maj. Gen.
John F. O'Ryan, of the
27th Division
*
Stewart Edward White, of
California
* Private Jesus M. Baca, of
New Mexico
* Brig. Gen.
Charles H. Cole, of the
26th Division
* Sgt. E. L. Malsbary, of
Nevada
* Lt. Samuel Gompers, Jr., of
New York
* Col.
Henry L. Stimson, Ex-
Secretary of War
* Lt. Col.
Charles W. Whittlesey, Commander of the "
Lost Battalion"
*
Roy Hoffman, of
Oklahoma
* Lt. Col.
A. Piatt Andrew, of the
American Ambulance in France
* Brig. Gen. Harvey J. Moss, of the
State of Washington
* John MacVicar, Mayor of
Des Moines before the
War
* Sgt. George H. H. Pratt, of
New Orleans
* Col.
F. C. Galbraith, of
Cincinnati
* Corporal Joseph H. Fountain, of
Vermont
*
Devereux Milburn, of the
78th Division
* Lt. Col. Wilbur Smith, of the
89th Division
* Sgt. Theodore Myers, of
Pennsylvania
* Col.
Bennett C. Clark, son of
Champ Clark
*
Robert Bacon, Ex-
Secretary of State
Headquarters

The national headquarters, informally known as American Legion headquarters, is located on the
Indiana World War Memorial Plaza at 700 North Pennsylvania Street,
Indianapolis,
Indiana. It is the headquarters for the National Commander of The American Legion and also houses the Legion'
archives library, Membership, Internal Affairs, Public Relations, and ''The American Legion'' magazine's editorial offices. The headquarters has since experienced multiple expansions since its establishment.
Eligibility
Membership in the Legion was originally restricted to U.S. soldiers, sailors, and marines who served
honorably between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918. Eligibility has since been expanded to include
military personnel who served on
active duty in the
Armed Forces of the United States, or
armed forces associated with the U.S., between December 7, 1941, through a date of cessation of hostilities as determined by the
government of the U.S., and was an American
citizen when they entered that service or continues to serve honorably.
U.S. Merchant marines who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, are also eligible.
Publication
The organization's official publication in its initial phase was a magazine called ''The American Legion Weekly,'' launched on July 4, 1919. This publication switched its frequency and renamed itself ''The American Legion Monthly'' in 1926. In 1936 the publication's name and volume numbering system changed again, this time to ''The American Legion''.
''American Legion Magazine,''
.
Notable members
Notable members of The American Legion have included:
File:TRUMAN 58-766-06 (cropped).jpg|Harry Truman, 33rd President of the United States
File:Dwight D. Eisenhower, official photo portrait, May 29, 1959.jpg|Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States
File:John F. Kennedy, White House color photo portrait.jpg|John Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
File:37 Lyndon Johnson 3x4.jpg|Lyndon Johnson, 36th President of the United States
File:Richard M. Nixon, ca. 1935 - 1982 - NARA - 530679.tif (cropped).jpg|Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States
File:Gerald Ford presidential portrait (cropped).jpg|Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States
File:JimmyCarterPortrait2.jpg|Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States
File:Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981.jpg|Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States
File:George H. W. Bush, President of the United States, 1989 official portrait (cropped).jpg|George Bush, 41st President of the United States
File:George-W-Bush.jpeg|George Bush, 43rd President of the United States
File:Louis Johnson official DoD photo.jpg|Louis Johnson, 2nd United States Secretary of Defense
File:Douglas MacArthur 58-61.jpg|General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Medal of Honor recipient
File:General George S Patton.jpg|General George Patton, Jr., Two-time Distinguished Service Cross recipient
File:ADM Mark E. Ferguson III VCNO.jpg|Admiral Mark Ferguson III, 37th Vice Chief of Naval Operations
File:LC-DIG-ggbain-37582.jpg|Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient
File:Alvin C. York 1919.jpg|Sergeant Alvin York, Medal of Honor recipient
File:Humphrey Bogart publicity.jpg|Humphrey Bogart, Academy Award winner
File:Clark_Gable_-_publicity.JPG|Clark Gable, Academy Award winner
List of National Commanders
* Franklin D'Olier, Pennsylvania, 1919–1920
* Frederic W. Galbraith, Jr., Ohio, 1920–1921
* John G. Emery, Michigan, 1921
* Hanford MacNider, Iowa, 1921–1922
* Alvin M. Owsley, Texas, 1922–1923
* John R. Quinn, California, 1923–1924
* James A. Drain, Washington, 1924–1925
* John R. McQuigg, Ohio, 1925–1926
* Howard P. Savage, Illinois, 1926–1927
* Edward E. Spafford, New York, 1927–1928
* Paul V. McNutt, Indiana, 1928–1929
* O. L. Bodenhamer, Arkansas, 1929–1930
* Ralph T. O'Neil, Kansas, 1930–1931
* Henry L. Stevens, Jr., North Carolina, 1931–1932
* Louis A. Johnson, West Virginia, 1932–1933
* Edward A. Hayes, Illinois, 1933–1934
* Frank N. Belgrano, California, 1934–1935
* Ray Murphy, Iowa, 1935–1936
* Harry W. Colmery, Kansas, 1936–1937
* Daniel J. Doherty, Massachusetts, 1937–1938
* Stephen F. Chadwick, Washington, 1938–1939
* Raymond J. Kelly, Michigan, 1939–1940
* Milo J. Warner, Ohio, 1940–1941
* Lynn U. Stambaugh, North Dakota, 1941–1942
* Roane Waring, Tennessee, 1942–1943
* Warren H. Atherton, California, 1943–1944
* Edward N. Scheiberling, New York, 1944–1945
* John Stelle, Illinois, 1945–1946
* Paul H. Griffith, Pennsylvania, 1946–1947
* James F. O'Neill, New Hampshire, 1947–1948
* S. Perry Brown, Texas, 1948–1949
* George N. Craig, Indiana, 1949–1950
* Erle Cocke, Jr., Georgia, 1950–1951
* Donald R. Wilson, West Virginia, 1951–1952
* Lewis K. Gough, California, 1952–1953
* Arthur J. Connell, Connecticut, 1953–1954
* Seaborn P. Collins, New Mexico, 1954–1955
* J. Addington Wagner, Michigan, 1955–1956
* Dan Daniel, Virginia, 1956–1957
* John S. Gleason, Jr., Illinois, 1957–1958
* Preston J. Moore, Oklahoma, 1958–1959
* Martin B. McKneally, New York, 1959–1960
* William R. Burke, California, 1960–1961
* Charles L. Bacon, Missouri, 1961–1962
* James E. Powers, Georgia, 1962–1963
* Daniel F. Foley, Minnesota, 1963–1964
* Donald E. Johnson, Iowa, 1964–1965
* L. Eldon James, Virginia, 1965–1966
* John E. Davis, North Dakota, 1966–1967
* William E. Galbraith, Nebraska, 1967–1968
* William C. Doyle, New Jersey, 1968–1969
* J. Milton Patrick, Oklahoma, 1969–1970
* Alfred P. Chamie, California, 1970–1971
* John H. Geiger, Illinois, 1971–1972
* Joe L. Matthews, Texas, 1972–1973
* Robert E. L. Eaton, Maryland, 1972–1973
* James M. Wagonseller, Ohio, 1974–1975
* Harry G. Wiles, Kansas, 1975–1976
* William J. Rogers, Maine, 1976–1977
* Robert C. Smith, Louisiana, 1977–1978
* John M. Carey, Michigan, 1978–1979
* Frank I. Hamilton, Indiana, 1979–1980
* Michael J. Kogutek, New York, 1980–1981
* Jack W. Flynt, Texas, 1981–1982
* Al Keller, Jr., Illinois, 1982–1983
* Keith A. Kreul, Wisconsin, 1983–1984
* Clarence M. Bacon, Maryland, 1984–1985
* Dale L. Renaud, Iowa, 1985–1986
* James P. Dean, Mississippi, 1986–1987
* John P. Comer, Massachusetts, 1987–1988
* H. F. Gierke III, North Dakota, 1988–1989
* Miles S. Epling, West Virginia, 1989–1990
* Robert S. Turner, Georgia, 1990–1991
* Dominic D. DiFrancesco, Pennsylvania, 1991–1992
* Roger A. Munson, Ohio, 1992–1993
* Bruce Thiesen, California, 1993–1994
* William M. Detweiler, Louisiana, 1994–1995
* Daniel A. Ludwig, Minnesota, 1995–1996
* Joseph J. Frank, Missouri, 1996–1997
* Anthony G. Jordan, Maine, 1997–1998
* Harold L. Miller, Virginia, 1998–1999
* Alan G. Lance, Sr., Idaho, 1999–2000
* Ray G. Smith, North Carolina, 2000–2001
* Richard J. Santos, Maryland, 2001–2002
* Ronald F. Conley, Pennsylvania, 2002–2003
* John A. Brieden III, Texas, 2003–2004
* Thomas P. Cadmus, Michigan, 2004–2005
* Thomas L. Bock, Colorado, 2005–2006
* Paul A. Morin, Massachusetts, 2006–2007
* Martin F. Conatser, Illinois, 2007–2008
* David K. Rehbein, Iowa, 2008–2009
* Clarence E. Hill, Florida, 2009–2010
* Jimmie L. Foster, Alaska, 2010–2011
* Fang A. Wong, New York, 2011–2012
* James E. Koutz, Indiana, 2012–2013
* Daniel Dellinger, Virginia, 2013–2014
* Michael D. Helm, Nebraska, 2014–2015
* Dale Barnett, Georgia, 2015–2016
* Charles E. Schmidt, Oregon, 2016–2017
* Denise H. Rohan, Wisconsin, 2017–2018
* Brett P. Reistad, Virginia, 2018–2019
* James W. Oxford, North Carolina, 2019–2020
List of Honorary Commanders
*Marshal Ferdinand Foch
*General John J. Pershing
List of past National Commanders by vote of National Conventions
* Henry D. Lindsley, Texas, 1919
* Milton J. Foreman, Illinois, 1921
* Bennett Champ Clark, Missouri, 1926
* Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., New York, 1949
* Eric Fisher Wood, Pennsylvania, 1955
* Thomas W. Miller, Nevada, 1968
* Maurice Stember, New York, 1975
* Hamilton Fish III, New York, 1979
* E. Roy Stone, Jr., South Carolina, 1987
* Robert W. Spanogle, Michigan, 2008
See also
* ''Freedom Bell, American Legion''
* List of members of the American Legion
* List of veterans' organizations
References
Citations
Sources
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Further reading
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External links
; Official
*
; General information
*
*
American Legion politician members
at The Political Graveyard
The American Legion Centennial Celebration
*
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{{Authority control
Category:1919 establishments in France
Category:501(c)(19) nonprofit organizations
Category:Advocacy groups in the United States
Category:Aftermath of World War I in France
Category:Aftermath of World War I in the United States
Category:American veterans' organizations
Category:Charities based in Indiana
Category:Lobbying organizations in the United States
Category:Magazine publishing companies of the United States
Category:Nonpartisan organizations in the United States
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Indianapolis
Category:Organizations established in 1919
Category:Patriotic and national organizations chartered by the United States Congress
Category:Title 36 of the United States Code