A Credit to the Community: The TCU Story

During the years of the Great Depression, local teachers decided they could pool their savings and lend to others in need. With that intention, they established the South Bend Teachers Federation Credit Union. It opened for business on October 13, 1931. In time, the organization would become known as Teachers Credit Union. It is that story being told in A Credit to the Community: The TCU Story, now on view through October 27. The exhibit chronicles the decades of TCU through pictures as well as artifacts that include a 1930s ledger, a World War II war bonds poster, and an Underwood calculator. TCU’s growth continued through the years. In 1939, TCU had 300 members, held deposits of $41,825, and made 69 loans totaling $47,400. In 1976, through a merger with Walkerton Community Credit Union, TCU added a branch location—the first of many mergers and branches to come. On December 8, 1986, TCU dedicated its new corporate offices at 110 S. Main St., South Bend. Today, TCU is Indiana’s largest credit union, with 54 locations from Niles, Michigan to New Albany, Indiana.