About Us

On April 1, 1939, the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood of America “Icaros” bestowed a new Chapter Charter to several Icarians from the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The new charter was issued to the Chapter’s first officers President Constantinos F. Lacas, Vice-President Constantinos Loizos, Secretary John G. Mantakounis and Treasurer Zacharias Kollaros.  In choosing a moniker for their new Chapter, the group sought something symbolic of their aspirations and reminiscent of their heritage.  They chose to be named after the tallest of the island of Icaria’s peaks – “ATHERAS”. Originally numbered as the eleventh Chapter, Atheras was re-designated and has been known as the twelfth Chapter of the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood since the late 1940s.

According to Icarian-American lore, a group of immigrants from Icaria formed a mutual aid in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 26, 1903, which was later chartered in 1905 as the Icarian Brotherhood of America. The purpose of this organization was to provide medical, disability and funeral benefits for its members and provided a vehicle for raising money for charitable contributions for the islands of Icaria and Fourni.

By the early 1930s six additional clubs in New York and Ohio were organized into a separate organization called the Knights and Ladies of Icaria. In 1934 the Icarian Brotherhood with the six new chapters became the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood of America.

Additional Icarian and Fournian clubs were later formed all over North America. There are currently paying members in 30 Chapters. We are proud to say that this Brotherhood is the oldest Hellenic organization in the Western Hemisphere and one of the largest.