A new permanent office
With thousands of World War II veterans joining the organization every day, The American Legion's membership grew significantly, increasing from 1.1 million members in 1941 to 3.3 million members in 1946.
The increase in membership required national staff to maintain larger inventories of Emblem merchandise, produce many more copies of every publication, and maintain membership records for three times as many members.
The need for more staff and larger office space was apparent, and both the national staff and Legionnaires from the Department of Indiana campaigned for state funding for additional buildings.
The Indiana legislature appropriated $2.5 million in March 1945 for three new buildings to house the national headquarters of The American Legion and its affiliates on the Indiana War Memorial Plaza in Indianapolis.
As plans finalized, the second building on the west side of the plaza was dropped and the two buildings initially planned for the east side of the War Memorial Plaza became one large building.
Construction on the new American Legion National Headquarters building commenced with groundbreaking ceremonies in August 1948.
The new building included office space for national headquarters staff, while the American Legion Auxiliary national headquarters and the American Legion Department of Indiana retained their offices in the 777 N. Meridian St. building.
The cornerstone of the new building was laid on May 6, 1949, nearly a year before it was completed in 1950.
The new American Legion National Headquarters building was formally dedicated on Aug. 20, 1950, and continues to function as the center of operations for staff and national officers.
The dedication ceremonies, a highlight of the 32nd Department of Indiana Convention attended by thousands, included bands, speeches, and a formal presentation of a golden key to the building by Indiana Gov. Henry F. Schricker to National Commander George N. Craig.
National staff quickly put the new building to use with larger membership card files and offices for the growing numbers of staff.
Even in the larger space, only two years of membership cards could be kept.
The Library Division continued to maintain records on the history of The American Legion and expanded its reference library, enabling the division to better serve national staff members.
Staff facilitated member benefits, which in 1958 included a group life insurance program facilitated by a new Insurance Division at National Headquarters.
Nearly 3 million members were eligible for the group insurance program, and the Magazine Circulation Division's new high-speed addressing machines made the huge mailings manageable for the small staff.
Automation allowed staff to keep up with mailings and other tasks as membership numbers grew exponentially in the 1950s.
The larger office space in the new building provided a spacious stock room for Emblem Sales Division inventory, as well as a new cafeteria that offered breakfast and lunch to the national staff every weekday.
Originally a weekly publication, staff continued to produce The American Legion Magazine every month, soliciting advertisers, selecting and writing stories, designing layouts and selecting art.
The Membership and Post Activities Division leveraged new technology to develop materials to assist posts in their efforts to recruit and retain new members, including this Eva-Tone record featuring National Adjutant Emil A. Blackmore challenging new members of The American Legion.
The "B" side of this record includes a recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and taps, both intended for use during post meetings.
Membership staff worked with the Internal Affairs division to accomplish the Legion's membership goals, maintain post information, and facilitate programs like the Sons of The American Legion and the National Emergency Fund.
