Direct Credits Society Group on Monument Circle, August 20, 1939

A group of Direct Credits Society members from the Fourth Indiana Economic District is seen here on the steps of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis. The Direct Credits Society was founded by Alfred W. Lawson (1869-1954), a pioneer in the aircraft industry. After he retired from manufacturing aircraft he turned to writing books and articles and founded several organizations. His Direct Credits Society was an economic reform cult that attracted thousands of followers in the United States during the Great Depression. Members wore distinctive white uniforms and caps and red ties.The original nitrate negative was copied with funds provided by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission in 1990. This digital image was created from that copy. The copy prints and negatives are stored in Microfiche Number order