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History: Feb. 18th, 1939 R. W. Brown resigned as Business Agent. He had contracted tuberculosis. M. G. 'Blackie' Steele was appointed to serve the remainder of brother Browns term. However, on April 14th, 1939, Clyde B. Judkins - a General Organizer for the International Association took over as presiding officer. This lasted until sometime between 5 and 24 Oct. 1939, during that timeframe, W. L. 'Bill' Mills was appointed Business Agent. Under the leadership of brother Mills, the Grand River Dam and The Bomber Plant were organized. The money received in working assessments from these two very large projects allowed for Local No. 584 to pay the debt which Local No. 191 had owed to the International Association. Bill Mills also organized the shopmen in the area and was instrumental in attaining a charter from the International for Local Union No. 620 in July of 1940 (in 2002 due to declining membership, Local No. 620 was merged with Local No. 584; the former members of 620 are now members of 584S). April 27th, 1942 saw devastation strike Eastern Oklahoma. The City of Pryor was almost completely wiped off of the map by a tornado. The Weather Bureau reported the cost of the damage to be $2, 015,000.00, stating that this was the worst tornado of 1942. The Red Cross reported 52 deaths and 181 treated for injuries. The Executive Board meeting for that day was canceled so that the officers could, along with several of the members, go to the aide of the injured and help with the clean up of debris.
Sometime between 1946 and 1953, while LaVerne 'Smitty' Smith was the Business Agent, the officers and membership felt that the Union was on firm enough financial footing to purchase a building to use as a hiring and meeting hall. The Building purchased was at 432 N. Boston. It has since been torn down and I-244 passes directly over where the building used to stand. It was located across the parking lot, to the North, from the Cain's Ballroom. Prior to this, the official address and location for the meetings was the Tulsa County Courthouse. In 1965, through negotiations with the signatory contractors, the members of Local No. 584 were able to start a Health and Welfare Fund. This was the first benefit ever received by the Ironworkers in this Local Union. The fund was started with $.10(ten cents) per hour. |
At the International convention of 1952, all outside local unions (shopmen belonged to 'inside' local unions) were ordered to
establish an Apprenticeship Training Program. Local No. 584 began its Apprenticeship Training Program in 1953 as a two year program
under the direction of Jack Price who was Business Agent at the time. Classes were held at the Union Hall one evening each month.
The first apprenticeship class graduated in 1955 (Pictured left, Chester Bailey, Philip Halpain, Perry Bailey, G. O. Bil Mills, Ed Rogers, Ira Bennett, B. A. Jack Price).