Henry Miller and J.T. Kelly are the names most associated with the founding of the IBEW in 1891, but eight other men also put their lives and livelihoods on the line for the grand idea of an electrical workers union during that first convention.

This month, we highlight the lives of Brothers William Hedden and Charles J. Sutter and show our gratitude for their contributions to all that we have today.

William Hedden was born in Iowa in 1870. He arrived in St. Louis as a teenager, where he quickly learned the trade as a cable splicer. When Charles Kassell organized American Federation of Labor Local 5221 in 1890, Hedden was one of the first to join.

In January 1891, Local President Henry Miller appointed Hedden to a committee responsible for promoting the idea of a national organization. Hedden helped the committee prepare a circular letter, which was mailed to electrical workers in every major city in the country. That November, Hedden was chosen by 5221 to serve as a delegate from St. Louis, along with Miller and J.T. Kelly, at the first IBEW Convention. During the convention, Hedden served on the Charter & Supplies Committee. When Local 5221 transitioned into IBEW Local 1, Hedden remained a member for the next two years.

In 1893, Hedden moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., and joined Local 34 as a cable splicer. A few years later he joined Local 87 in Newark, N.J., and became a foreman for the New York and New Jersey Telephone Company. In March of 1902, the local went on strike demanding a $3 daily wage and an eight-hour workday. The Electrical Worker reported on the strike saying "the Telephone Company is getting desperate. … They called in a [nonunion] gang of groundsmen for Foremen W. Hedden and H. McGill to go out to climb. Hedden and McGill refused to take them out and quit. All the boys are sticking like leeches, and it is the cleanest strike we have ever had."

Hedden passed away in Newark in 1928 at the age of 58, causes unknown. He was survived by his wife, Jennie, and son, William Jr.

Charles J. Sutter was born and raised in St. Louis in 1869 and eventually entered the trade as an inside wireman. With the organization of AFL Local 5221 in 1890, he joined and was elected its first treasurer. The other officers included J. T. Kelly as president and John Hisserich as financial secretary. As a result of the circular letter sent out in the beginning of 1891, eight unaffiliated locals authorized delegates to attend the first IBEW convention that November. One of these locals was from Duluth, Minn., which opted not to send a delegate but to have a proxy represent them instead. Sutter was chosen for the role.

At the convention, Sutter served on the Constitution Committee alongside J.T. Kelly, T.J. Finnell, and F.J. Heizleman. He was also among the nominees for grand secretary-treasurer but lost to Kelly. According to the proceedings, it was Sutter who presented a drawing to be used for an IBEW "emblematic button," which was unanimously approved. The drawing was of a left hand, with a jacket sleeve and cuffed shirt, grasping 22 lightning bolts that would become the seal of the IBEW we know today.

After the convention, Sutter became a member of Local 1 and continued to work in the field. In 1893, he made the transition to employer by going into business with fellow brother John Hisserich. They operated "Sutter & Hisserich" in St. Louis and provided, according to a city directory, "electrical engineers and contractors for electric light and power plants" with a special emphasis on "wiring residences for light, bells, and burglar alarms." His business stayed in operation for the rest of his life, eventually changing its name to "Charles J. Sutter Inc." During this time, Sutter become a prominent member in the St. Louis electrical community. He joined the board of directors for the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) in 1906, where he served as chairman of their Labor Committee and as the state director for Missouri.

Sutter died on Feb. 8, 1930, at the age of 60. He was survived by his wife, Bertha, who continued to operate his business as its president-secretary.