History of NSS

February 15, 1890 Fulfilling a long held dream of Peter Vitazoslav Rovnianek, on this day the National Slavonic Society of the United States (in 1913, amended to the National SLOVAK Society of the United States of America) was founded. At a meeting held in the Walther’s Hall in Allegheny township, now the North Side of Pittsburgh, PA, delegates from five Slovak societies attended: Stefan Oravec of Hazleton, PA; Anton S. Ambrose of Plymouth, PA; Jan Miller of Cleveland, OH; Reverend Ludvik Novomesky, a Lutheran pastor from Freeland, PA; and Rovnianek who represented Pittsburgh.

Rovnianek, elected as the first president, was determined that the NSS by-laws would assure that the new society would be non-sectarian.  “A society where all Slovaks, of whatever religious faith, occupation, gender or locale could gather together for their greater good.” An initial pool of $200.00 was collected by the delegates as a death benefit fund.

The height of social membership growth with adult membership at 42,454 and youth membership at 19,179.  Only 545 of these were covered by insurance benefits.

With the beginning of the New Deal through World War II, membership in the Society continued to decline, litigation increased, and salvaging property and monetary losses was the all consuming task of the leadership. Adult membership was down to 32,953 members and 14,461 children.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and many other states revised their operations with the establishment of the American Experience Table changed the interest rate from 4% to 3½%. In this year the Society was divided into 15 districts.

With the end of World War II, there began a change of momentum with the Society to reverse the membership losses. However, membership continued to drop and by the end of 1946 there were 32,656 adult members and 8,214 youth members. The current “Mission Statement” of the Society was adopted at the Youngstown, OH Convention in 1946. At the conclusion of WW II, Slovakia was once again connected to Czech Republic and became a satellite of the Soviet Union.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner requested the Society to go to “One Fund” accounting replacing the myriad of Society funds on the books. Robert Bruce, our actuary, replaced his father, Harley Bruce. The freezing and eventual liquidation of the solvency liens occurred. The groundwork for the establishment of a field force was laid.

The Society Home Office at Court Place, in downtown Pittsburgh, was sold for $800,000 and the Society was given a five year lease. In 1979, Home Office operations were moved to the South Side of Pittsburgh. The Committee of Industrial Organization (C.I.O.) and the United States Steel Local 1271 agreed to accept $102,000 for the building.

Insurance in force had risen in excess of $25 million, the investment ratio to 8.51% and new premium income increase 85%-the highest in history. A total of 18,126 certificates were in force.

The 100^th Anniversary of the founding of the Society took place at the Sheraton Hotel, Station Square in Pittsburgh, PA where over 700 people attended. At the close of 1990 the Society’s assets were at $32 million and insurance in force grew to $40 million.

The Russian Orthodox Catholic Women’s Mutual Aid Society also merged; they were domiciled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The three mergers brought the membership of the Society to over 20,000 members.

The society purchased its own building and once more moved its Home Office to its current site at 351 Valley Brook Road in McMurray, PA.

The Society celebrates its 125^th Anniversary with a gala celebration held at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh/Southpointe near Canonsburg, PA.