The credit union movement has a long and profound history, one we’re all quite proud of. It’s a history of community support, collaborative efforts, and, of course, it’s a history of people helping people through a cooperative movement. 

But above all, the credit union movement’s history is filled with thousands upon thousands of individuals whose hard work laid our industry’s foundations brick by brick. 

Yet, despite the love and pride the credit union movement has for these individuals and the importance of the work they did, we are also guilty of letting these pieces of history and these everyday heroes’ stories fall through the cracks—whether borne from humbleness or forgetfulness.

Thankfully, America’s Credit Union Museum is saying “no more” and stepping in to seal those cracks, lift up those overlooked pieces of our history, and bring recognition to our movement’s unsung heroes.

Introducing America’s Credit Union Museum

Fittingly located in Manchester, New Hampshire, at the site of the first credit union founded in the U.S. (St Mary’s Cooperative Credit Association), America’s Credit Union Museum stands as a testament to how far credit unions have come and all that the movement has achieved since their introduction to the U.S. over a hundred years ago.

Since opening its doors in 2002, the museum has worked tirelessly to preserve—and more importantly—share the history of credit unions and serve as “the soul of an unwavering national movement of people helping people.” Over the years, alongside the chronological timeline of the industry’s history, the museum has featured prominent exhibits focusing on different groups within the movement, including Credit Union Women Making History—Herstory and African American Voices in the Credit Union Movement.

Now, three years since the opening of Herstory, America’s Credit Union Museum is proudly unveiling its upcoming exhibit, created in deference to the hardworking pioneers of our movement. Stephanie Smith, Executive Director of America’s Credit Union Museum, sat down with CUSO Magazine to share details on the museum’s newest exhibit, Woven in History: A Tapestry of Unsung Heroes, a remembrance of all the individuals within our industry who have had a hand in getting it to where it is today, without any of the credit, as well as the museum’s upcoming day of giving, Labor of Love.

Spotlighting the unsung heroes

As the museum’s newest installation, Woven in History: A Tapestry of Unsung Heroes spotlights the hard-working individuals who laid the foundation of our movement and continue to carry it even now, though they often receive little to no recognition for doing so. It’s a reminder that our industry is not comprised solely of high-level executives, but of everyday laborers.

“We do a fantastic job as an industry of talking about the real pioneers of the movement—the Ed Filenes, the Louise Harrings,” said Smith. “But we realized, when we asked people to nominate women for the Herstory exhibit, that there was another whole group of people who were absolute rock stars in a much smaller microcosm of the movement, making real differences in their communities that aren’t necessarily recognized on a national level, but it’s their work that really gives lift to the movement.” 

The goal of Unsung Heroes, then, is to help bring attention to those often overlooked individuals, both within our credit union history and at credit unions today. After all, the Edward Filenes of our movement may have founded credit unions in the US, but it was the everyday workers who built it. That’s evidenced in the early history of almost any credit union. Look back at when and why they were chartered, and you’ll most likely find a group of ordinary individuals who saw a need in their community and rose to fill it.

The hard labor of these everyday credit union heroes was recognized and respected by our founders as well. As Smith points out, Roy Bergengren himself notes in his book, Crusade: The Fight for Economic Democracy in North America, that one person with a piece of coal will not be enough to light a fire. Instead, it takes everyone coming together with their own pieces of coal to start a fire and keep everyone warm—which is exactly how credit unions began.

“Many hands make light work. Ed Filene and Roy Bergengren did not make the credit union movement what it is by themselves. They had entire teams of people behind them, and that remains true today. A credit union’s success isn’t just the work of its CEO. While CEOs play an important role, it’s the countless individuals behind the scenes who roll up their sleeves, tackle the day-to-day challenges, and keep the movement moving forward,” says Smith.

An “infinite exhibit”

As the exhibit begins to take shape at the museum, Smith shares that it is going to be completely different from anything they’ve done in the past. Although the exhibit will be a permanent installation, similar to Herstory and African American Voices, the stories and individuals displayed within it will be changed out annually to make room for new heroes to be showcased.

Not to worry, though, once removed from display, the individuals are not merely relegated to storage. Instead, each person or credit union’s story will be added to the museum and exhibit’s digital archive in what the museum hopes will become an extensive collection of the movement’s staunchest supporters and champions, ensuring none are forgotten over time. Creating—in essence—what Smith calls an “infinite exhibit.”

“There’s no end to the exhibit. We believe there are so many of these stories to be told that we’re going to tell all of them and give everybody their opportunity to be part of the exhibit in a physical presence…Eventually, the physical plaque may come off the wall to put another story up, but the digital storyboard will just continue to grow and grow.”

What makes Unsung Heroes truly impactful, according to Smith, is that the tapestry will contain stories about credit unions and their champions, all coming from the credit unions themselves. An entire museum exhibit, created by the very same people it represents, is a true feat and a testament to our industry’s cooperative nature.

The exhibit will open to the public on September 24th with its first set of unsung credit union heroes, but before then, Smith and the museum are hard at work gathering even more inspiring stories to add and garnering support from the movement and all the credit unions within it. Anyone involved in the credit union movement can take part by sharing their stories and participating in America’s Credit Union Museum’s day of giving. 

A labor of love

To support the creation of the Unsung Heroes exhibit, America’s Credit Union Museum is hosting a day of giving on August 27th with the aptly given name, “A Labor of Love.” Working hand in hand with the Unsung Heroes exhibit, the day of giving takes inspiration from the message of Labor Day, a holiday aimed at commemorating the achievements and hard labor of the everyday worker, just as the Unsung Heroes exhibit aims to do. 

“It really sort of hearkens back to the very foundation of creating a movement—the laborers, the mill workers, the people that were in the trenches doing the work every day that needed the financial services. Tying Labor Day into the day of giving and the Unsung Heroes exhibit seemed like a natural fit, as those unsung heroes were the people who were doing the work every day, who maybe didn’t get recognition on a national level.”

During the Labor of Love day of giving, credit unions will be able to donate to the museum or become a credit union partner—supporting not only the Unsung Heroes exhibit, but also the sustainment of the museum itself, ensuring our history, heroes, and voices are not forgotten. Through their donations, credit unions can nominate or share the stories of their unsung heroes to be included in the exhibit and added to the digital archive. Sharing these stories will conserve both the histories of individual credit unions and the history of the movement as a whole. 

“We, as the museum, are the keepers of history, but if we don’t know what the history is, we can’t share it,” notes Smith. “Credit union folks are notorious for not wanting to sing their own accolades; they are their own worst cheerleaders. But what we’ve learned from the most recent exhibits is that behind every credit union leader, there is an entire army of people who want you to know their story because they’re so moved by it. And we think that those stories are what tell the story of the movement better than anything else. We can put facts and figures on the wall and talk about the number of members and the asset size of the industry, but it’s the people that actually move that forward.”

While the Labor of Love is officially still a few weeks out, Smith encourages credit unions to get their submissions in as soon as possible. Credit unions or individuals interested in sharing their stories or a story of someone within the movement can go to the Labor of Love page to learn more and submit their nomination. If you’d like to support the Unsung Heroes exhibit through the Labor of Love day of giving, you can donate and take part in the event on August 27th.

Time to weave our tapestry 

Preserving our movement’s history and the efforts of everyone inside of it cannot fall solely on the shoulders of one group—it is a constant and consistent endeavor we must all be a part of. Woven in History: A Tapestry of Unsung Heroes is the perfect step to bringing credit unions in on the work to document and maintain the movement’s history and heroes, as well as their own—a critical necessity for any industry, but especially for ours in particular, as our history is what separates us from the rest, says Smith.

“You have to understand where you’ve been to know where you’re going,” says Smith. “The credit union movement has such a deep and rich history, but without knowing that history, we’re just another financial services industry. I’ll always default to knowing your history because it’s what shaped the movement, and it’s what should inspire you going forward. This new exhibit is just going to allow us to deepen that knowledge for people.”

As with everything else in our cooperative movement, we thrive the most when we work together. So, as we lead into both the Labor of Love day of giving on August 27th and the opening of Woven in History: A Tapestry of Unsung Heroes on September 24th, consider sharing your credit union story, and more importantly, consider becoming a sustaining member of the museum. As Smith notes, if only 5% of our nation’s credit unions donated the suggested amount based on their asset size, the museum and our history would be permanently sustained. 

To learn more about the museum, the day of giving, and the Unsung Heroes exhibit, you can visit America’s Credit Union Museum’s website.