The first State of Ohio lodge (The McKinley Lodge No. 27) was organized by Captain Joseph H. Pence in Canton on May 23, 1920. It is the only lodge in Ohio that has remained active since its founding. Pence went on to become the national president of the F.O.P. in 1935. He gained recognition throughout Ohio as a result of his fight against police cutbacks during the Depression. He was elected state president in 1934 and Grand Lodge president in 1935. Because of Pence�s ability to successfully communicate the need for the F.O.P., Ohio was one of the most rapid states to grow and become active in this organization. Pence was also a skilled fundraiser --raising enough money to form 19 new lodges featuring a membership of 1,795 by 1935.
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