History

History

Our IBEW 136 History

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has a rich history that our members can take pride in, and that goes for our Local IBEW 136 chapter here in Birmingham. You are a part of something greater than yourself with a story that dates back over a century.

calendar

Henry Miller called the first convention of what was first deemed the National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (NBEW) in 1891. Over 7 days and nights, the original brotherhood crafted the articles of a constitution that would govern the IBEW.

text

Two decades later the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers chartered IBEW 136 in Alabama. After going through a few different iterations, IBEW 136 was officially chartered in the state of Alabama in 1912.

a group of men posing for a photo

NBEW Founding Fathers

a logo with a graphic design

Logo from the early days of IBEW 136

a black and white photo of a street with people and buildings

The first IBEW 136 union meetings were originally held at a place called the Stag Saloon in a building that still exists today at the corner of 2007 ½ 3rd Ave in downtown Birmingham.

a building with a street and cars

2020 Location of the original site of the Stag Saloon

a building with cars parked in front

Meetings were in a few different places during the early years until the Local purchased it's first official union Hall located at 517 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd., at the current site of the Winiger law firm with the Yankees mural on the site.

a building with a tower

In 1973 IBEW Local 136 moved it's offices to 2917 Central Ave. in the municipality of Homewood where the Hall stood until moving to the current location in Roebuck.

a road with a flag on it

The current building at 845 Gadsden Highway was purchased in 1999. The house that stood on the property was used to house the administration until the building could be finished.

Past Officers

Business Managers

G.X. Barker

1st Qtr. 1930 - 1st Qtr. 1931

J.A. Crooks

1st Qtr. 1931 - 3rd Qtr. 1933

J.W. Driver

3rd Qtr. 1933 - 1941

Hugh W. Brown

1941 - 1943

B.F. Reeves

1943 - Aug. 1951

Hugh W. Brown Sr.

Aug. 1951 - Sept. 1958

Hugh W. Brown Jr.

Sept. 1958 - Sept. 1959

J.H. Kimberly

Sept. 1959 - Nov. 1963

Hugh W. Brown Jr.

Nov. 1963 - Oct. 1967

J.H. Kimberly

Oct. 1967 - Oct. 1969

Herschel L. Goodwin

Oct. 1969 - Oct. 1971

Hayes W. Cockrell

Oct. 1971 - Aug. 1974

J.F. Wilson

Aug. 1974 - Oct. 1976

Robert H. Fuqua

Oct. 1976 - Nov. 1977

James L. Mullinax Jr.

Nov. 1977 - Aug. 1986

William G. Roberson

Aug. 1986 - Oct. 1990

Gary C. Reaves

Oct. 1990 - Oct. 2002

Jackie Goodwin

Oct. 2002 - Oct. 2008

Jerry W. Keenum

Oct. 2008 - 2015

Charles D. Palmer

2015 - 2017

William M. Blackman Jr.

2017 - Present

Presidents

C.M. Thompson

June 1900 - Nov. 1900

John S. Lewis

Nov. 1900 - July 1901

George W. Brown

July 1901 - Jan. 1902

Edward T. Sheets

Jan. 1902 - July 1902

F.S. Williams

July 1902 - April 1903

F.C. Powell

April 1903 - July 1903

J.E.B. Vincent

July 1903 - Jan. 1904

F.C. Powell

Jan. 1904 - Aug. 1904

T.O. James

Aug. 1904 - Feb. 1905

G.A. Leath

Feb. 1905 - Sept. 1905

A.H. Hunt

Sept. 1905 - Dec. 1905 (at least)

J.W.P. Hancock

Jan. 1912 - May 1912

W.C. Slaughter

May 1912 - Feb. 1914

C.B. Mann

Feb. 1914 - Nov. 1914

J.L. Ellis

Nov. 1914 - Feb. 1915

E.S. Nelson

Feb. 1915 - May 1916 (at least)

F. Ayers

-------------- July 1939

F. Purdum

Aug. 1939 - May 1940

F. Reeves

June 1940 - Jan. 1941

B. Ward

Feb. 1941 - July 1941

F. Crooks

Aug. 1941 - Nov. 1942

A. Dean

Dec. 1942 - Nov. 1943

W. Atkinson

Dec. 1943 - July 1945

L. McClure

Aug. 1943 - July 1949

W. Pate

Aug. 1949 - Dec. 1949

Hugh Brown

Jan. 1950 - July 1951

A.C. Reaves

Aug. 1951 - July 1953

Ben Reeves

Aug. 1953 - July 1957

Tim Malone

Aug. 1957 - July 1959

J. Strong

Aug. 1959 - July 1962

L. Mc Clure

Aug. 1962 - July 1963

Robert H. Fuqua

Aug. 1963 - July 1965

M. Malone

Aug. 1965 - July 1967

Marvin Gann

Aug. 1967 - July 1969

A.V. Griffin

Aug. 1969 - July 1971

Jack Warren

Aug. 1971 - Dec. 1972

Adam Dorough

Jan. 1973 - July 1974

James L. Mullinax Jr.

Aug. 1974 - Nov. 1977

William G. Roberson

Dec. 1977 - Nov. 1980

Clint Sills

Dec. 1980 - July 1983

William H. Harper

Aug. 1983 - Feb. 1984

George Usher

March 1984 - July 1986

John C. Perryman

Aug. 1986 - July 1990

Ken Essig

Aug. 1990 - July 1993

Charles D. Palmer

Aug. 1993 - July 1996

John C. Perryman Jr.

Aug. 1996 - Oct. 1999

Randy L. Goodwin

Oct. 1999 - Oct. 2008

William M. Blackman Jr.

Oct. 2008 - 2015

Ray A. Hale

2015 - 2017

Ross Roberson

2017 - Present

Vice Presidents

J.N. Harper

Jan. 1912 - May 1912

J.G. Cardwell

May 1912 - Sept. 1912

L.L. Hunt

Sept. 1912 - Feb. 1914

W.P. Reynolds

Feb. 1914 - Feb. 1915

J.C. Giles

Feb. 1915 - May 1916 (at least)

Recording Secretaries

John S. Lewis

June 1900 - Nov. 1900

J.A. Poe

Nov. 1900 - July 1901

D.B. Freeman

July 1901 - Jan. 1902

W.A. Steele

Jan. 1902 - July 1902

J.E.B. Vincent

July 1902 - April 1903

Hargiss

April 1903 - July 1903

T.O. James

July 1903 - Jan. 1904

Pyle

Jan. 1904 - April 1904

R.S. Hoke

April 1904 - Feb. 1905

W.P. Reynolds

Feb. 1905 - Aug. 1906

W.B. Larving

Aug. 1906 - June 1907

W.R. Wilcox

June 1907 - Sept. 1907

W.B. Larving

Sept. 1907 - Dec. 1907 (at least)

J.G. Cardwell

Jan. 1912 - May 1912

F.C. Powell

May 1912 - Nov. 1916

A.J. Roberts

Nov. 1916 - Sept. 1917

Ben H. Mitchell

Sept. 1917 - July 1918

Joe F. Griffith

Sept. 1953 - Sept. 1955

W.P. Reynolds

July 1918 - Sept. 1918

John Braun

Sept. 1918 - Jan. 1920

Mack L.H. Larsen

Jan. 1920 - May 1920

A.H. Vickers

May 1920 - Feb. 1922

W.R. Lee

Feb. 1922 - Sept. 1922

A.H. Vickers

Sept. 1922 - April 1925

J.W. Isherwood

April 1925 - 2nd Qtr. 1927

W.R. Lee Jr.

2nd Qtr. 1927 - 1st Qtr. 1930

A.I. Askew

1st Qtr. 1930 - 1st Qtr. 1931

R.E. Clement

1st Qtr. 1931 - 2rd Qtr. 1933

Frank Mulroony

2rd Qtr. 1933 - 1st Qtr. 1936

C.W. Harves

1st Qtr. 1936 - Nov. 1945

L.A. Dean

Nov. 1945 - July 1946

C.W. Harves

July 1946 - Aug. 1949

G.L. Baston Sr.

Aug. 1949 - Aug. 1951

E.B. Daniel

Aug. 1951 - Sept. 1953

Roy A. Bryant

Sept. 1955 - Sept. 1957

Ralph Vaught

Sept. 1957 - Sept. 1959

R.C. Price

Sept. 1959 - Oct. 1967

H.A. Godfey

Oct. 1967 - Oct. 1969

William D. Sanders

Oct. 1969 - Aug. 1974

Marvin Gann

Aug. 1974 - Nov. 1977

Clinton S. Sills

Nov. 1977 - Sept. 1981

Jimmy Sills

Sept. 1981 - Aug. 1986

Charles D. Palmer

Aug. 1986 - Oct. 1990

Jack C. Warren

Oct. 1990 - Sept. 1992

Robert Geisen

Sept. 1992 - Sept. 1993

William P. Davis

Sept. 1993 - Aug. 1996

William H. Harper

Aug. 1996 - Oct. 1999

Gerard Bergeron

Oct. 1999 - Oct. 2005

James L. Reece

Oct. 2005 - Oct. 2008

Jeffrey C. Lipscomb

Oct. 2008 - Sept. 2011

Chris W. Cody

Sept. 2011 - 2015

Corydon W. Parsons

2015 - 2017

Sean Fahey

2017 - 2018

Dustin T. Phillips

2018 - Present

Financial Secretaries

F.J. McCallum

June 1900 - Nov. 1900

E.A. Woodworth

Nov. 1900 - Jan. 1902

J.F. Phillips

Jan. 1902 - Feb. 1902

George W. Brown

Feb. 1902 - Dec. 1902

J.N. Harper

Dec. 1902 - July 1903

F.S. Williams

July 1903 - May 1904

J.E.B. Vincent

May 1904 - Sept. 1905

A.O. Fruitticher

Sept. 1905 - June 1907

W.P. Reynolds

June 1907 - Sept. 1907

J.E.B. Vincent

Sept. 1907 - Dec. 1907 (at least)

F.B. Carpenter

Aug. 1910 - June 1911

J.G. Cardwell

Jan. 1912 - May 1912

A.J. Taunton

May 1912 - July 1913

W.C. Slaughter

July 1913 - Nov. 1914

A.J. Taunton

Nov. 1914 - Jan. 1915

C.B. Mann

Jan. 1915 - Feb. 1915

G.W. Schreck

Feb. 1915 - Sept. 1917

J.L. Ellis

Sept. 1917 - July 1918

J.S. O'Keif

July 1918 - Sept. 1918

W.P. Reynolds

Sept. 1918 - Feb. 1920

S.L. Whitehead

Feb. 1920 - April 1921

C.M. Baker

April 1921 - 2nd Qtr. 1927

J.W. Isherwood

2nd Qtr. 1927 - 2nd Qtr. 1928

J.W. Driver

2nd Qtr. 1928 - 1st Qtr. 1930

W.R. Lee

1st Qtr. 1930 - 4th Qtr. 1932

J.A. Crooks

4th Qtr. 1932 - 3rd Qtr. 1933

J.W. Driver

3rd Qtr. 1933 - 1st Half 1938

W.H. Rodgers

1st Half 1938 - 3rd Qtr. 1939

G.W. Schreck

3rd Qtr. 1939 - 1943

J.W. Andrews

1943 - Sept. 1956

J.F. Wilson

Sept. 1956 - Sept. 1958

William B. Atkins

Sept. 1958 - Sept. 1959

J.F. Wilson

Sept. 1959 - Aug. 1974

William D. Sanders

Aug. 1974 - Oct. 2002

Jackie Goodwin

Oct. 2002 - Oct. 2008

Jerry W. Keenum

Oct. 2008 - 2015

Charles D. Palmer

2015 - 2017

William M. Blackman Jr.

2017 - Present

Treasurers

R.N. Fruitticher

Jan. 1912 - May 1912

A.H. Hunt

May 1912 - Nov. 1914

J.G. Pulliam

Nov. 1914 - Feb. 1915

G.W. Schreck

Feb. 1915 - May 1916 (at least)

Membership & Convention Delegates

16th Conv. Sept/Oct. 1921 - St. Louis, MO

Members (M) - 53

Delegates (D) - C.M. Baker

17th Conv. Aug. 1923 - Montreal, Quebec

M - 61

D - C.M. Baker

18th Conv. Aug. 1925 - Seattle, WA

M - 79

D - B.F. Reeves

19th Conv. Aug. 1927 - Detroit, MI

M - 101

D - W.H. Crump

20th Conv. Sept. 1929 - Miami, FL

M - 103

D - J.A. Crook

21st Conv. Oct. 1941 - St. Louis, MO

M - 151

D - Hugh W. Brown

22nd Conv. Sept. 1946 - San Francisco, CA

M - 780

D - Hugh W. Brown, R.N. Fuqua, J.A. Hardin, B.F. Reeves, L.A. Dean,

23rd Conv. Sept. 1948 - Atlantic City, NJ

M - 676

D - R.N. Fuqua, J.A. Hardin, B.F. Reeves, A.C. Riggins, Wayne Thompson, W.B. Thompson

24th Conv. Oct. 1950 - Miami, FL

M - 753

D - Hugh W. Brown Sr., Robert H. Fuqua Sr., P.G. Holley, J.H. Kimberly, Ray H. Myers, L.W. Pate, B.F. Reeves, C.T. Thrasher

25th Conv. Aug/Sept. 1954 - Chicago, IL

M - 810

D - W.B. Atkins, Hugh W. Brown Sr., Robert H. Fuqua Sr., P.G. Holley, Jerome Hugh Kimberly, Ray H. Myers, F.L. Phillips, B.F. Reeves

26th Conv. Sept/Oct. 1958 - Cleveland, OH

M - 816

D - W.B. Atkins, Hugh W. Brown Sr., Jerome Hugh Kimberly

27th Conv. Sept. 1962 - Montreal, Quebec

M - 801

D - Robert H. Fuqua Sr., Jerome Hugh Kimberly Sr., W.D. Messer, O.J. Strong

28th Conv. Sept. 1966 - St. Louis, MO

M - 965

D - Hugh W. Brown Sr., Robert H. Fuqua Sr., Jerome Hugh Kimberly Sr., John Frank Wilson

29th Conv. Sept/Oct. 1970 - Seattle, WA

M - 973

D - Robert H. Fuqua Sr., A.V. Griffies, Jerome Hugh Kimberly Sr., John Frank Wilson

30th Conv. Sept. 1974 - Kansas City, MO

M - 1130

D - M. Benton, H.W. Cockrell, A.W. Dorough Jr., Robert H. Fuqua Jr., John Frank Wilson

31st Conv. Oct. 1978 - Atlantic City, NJ

M - 1156

D - K.A. Horn, J. Mullinax Jr., W.G. Robertson, W.D. Sanders, L.O. Taylor

32nd Conv. Sept. 1982 - Los Angeles, CA

M - 1159

D - J.E. Albright, K.A. Horn, J. Mullinax Jr., W.G. Robertson, W.D. Sanders

33rd Conv. Sept. 1986 - Toronto, ON, Canada

M - 921

D - W.G. Robertson

34th Conv. Oct. 1991 - St. Louis, MO

M - 937

D - K.E. Essig, G.C. Reaves, W.G. Robertson, W.D. Sanders

35th Conv. Sept. 1996 - Philadelphia, PA

M - 798

D - G.C. Reaves, W.G. Robertson, W.D. Sanders

36th Conv. Sept. 2001 - San Francisco, CA

M - 877

D - H.T. Blankenship, J.E. Goodwin, J.W. Keenum, G.C. Reaves

37th Conv. Sept. 2006 - Cleveland, OH

M - 878

D - J.E. Goodwin, R.H. Hammer, J.W. Keenum

38th Conv. Sept. 2011 - Vancouver, BC

M - 929

D - W.M. Blackman, J.W. Keenum, J.L. Reece

39th Conv. Sept. 2016 - St. Louis, MO

M - 821

D - W.M. Blackman, R. Hale, C. Palmer

Meeting Places

Brotherhood of Locomotor Engineer's Hall

219 ½ N. 19th St.

Saturday: June 1900 - Nov. 1900

Dunker's Hall

210 N. 20th St.

Tues: Nov. 1900 - July 1903

Paperhanger's Hall

2928 ½ 1st Ave.

Friday: July 1903 - Jan. 1904

Labor Temple

21st St.

1st & 3rd Mon: Jan. 1904 - Aug. 1904

Fri: Aug. 1904 - Sept. 1905

Dunker's Hall

Sat: Sept. 1905 - Aug. 1906

Varley & Bauman's Hall

1924 1st Ave.

Monday: Aug. 1906 - June 1907

1912 ½ 2nd Ave.

Wednesday: June 1907 - Sept. 1907

Bricklayer's Hall

Monday: Sept. 1907 - Dec. 1907 (at least)

Hood Building

Rm. 325

20th & 32nd Ave.

Tuesday: Jan. 1912 - May 1912

Stag Saloon

2007 ½ 3rd Ave.

Friday: May 1912 - Feb. 1914

Building Trades Hall

403 ½ N. 20th St.

Friday: Feb. 1914 - Nov. 1914

2009 ½ 3rd Ave.

Friday: Nov. 1914 - Sept. 1918

1813 2nd Ave.

Friday: Sept. 1918 - Feb. 1919

Ben Hur Temple

Tuesday: Feb. 1919 - Feb. 1922

United Temple

Tuesday: Feb. 1922 - April 1925

1809 ½ N. 4th Ave.

Friday: April 1925 - 1st Qtr. 1931

1st + 3rd Fri: 1st Qtr. 1931 - 1941

Courthouse

716 N. 21st St.

1st + 3rd Fri: 1941 - 1943

517 N. 21st St.

1st + 3rd Fri: 1943 - Nov. 1944

2nd Saturday: Nov. 1944 - Oct. 1976

2917 Central Ave., Homewood

2nd Sat: Oct. 1976 - Oct. 1990

1st Tues: Oct. 1990 - Sept. 1992

2nd Sat: Sept. 1992 - Oct. 1997

841 Gadsden Hwy.

2nd Sat: Oct. 1997 - Oct. 1999

845 Gadsden Hwy.

3rd Thur.: Oct. 1999 - Present