Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-07
FOR YOU
Woman
Was First
Puyee
BY RAY HENRY

something OF a celebrity IN nef
home town of Ludlow, VT.
And it's all because of a quirk
Iof fate and 23-mile train trip
she made to Rutland back in
November, 1889. Miss Fuller was
headed for the nearest social
security Office.
Il recall the day" she said in
an interview recently.
1T wasn't that l expected any
thing. but l knew I'd been pay
ing for something called social
security. l wanted to ask the
people III Rutland about it"
She'd retired few weeks
earlier from her job as secretary
in a law fiIm-a job she'd held
in Ludlow for "a years and a
JOB which brought her under
social security on January l.,
1887.
She arrived at the Rutland
office on the same day as the
first social security application
forms. Congress had decreed
few months earlier that social
security checks would be paid
starting with the next January.
Got First Check Issued
Little did Miss Fuller know
that when she filled out her ap-
Iplication that fate had tapped
her to be the first person to re-
ceive a social security check.
Check number 00-000-001 for
$22 81 was paid to her in Feb
ruary. 1910.
Now, 204 checks later. Miss
Fuller reports that her check is
i$51.50 and that she's never
missed one. or even had one
arrive late.
OF her fame, Miss Fuller says:
Some of the shine has rubbed
of since the people in Ludlow
found out l had been paid the
first check. But / can't forget it.
Every time Congress changes the
law. reporters and photographers
show up for interviews and pic
lures"
F.! Miss Fuller is amazed. but not
awed. by the growth of the So
clal security program since she
got the first check. And she's
pleased that she played even a
small part IN getting it started.
Il think that social security
is a wonderful thing for the peo-
Pile" she told me. With the
money l get from my bank stock,
the rent of an apartment and my
social security l have all the
money l need"
Plenty Of Company
Although Miss Fuller was the
first to get social security pay
mentS. she's far from being the
only person who's been getting
them since 1870 There are some
$4,000. That's out of a total of
$50 900 who started that year.
The number now drawing pay
ments is nearly 10 million. With
in the next l6 months, some 2
million will be added, bringing
the total on the rolls to III mil
lion. This comes on top of nearly
a million added since last July
Thus. by July. 1858, / out
of every IS Americans - men,
women and children - Will be
collecting payments. They'll be
collecting payments at the rate
of SIT billion year.
The increase will largely be
due to changes made few
months ago in the social security
Law which lowered the retire
ment age for women and made
many severely disabled persons
over so eligible for payments.
Yes" said Miss Fuller, its
amazing. but maybe it isn't too
surprising when you think Of all
the new people covered by So
clal security and the changes in
eligibility since the program
started"
Associated Press News Features,
tYou may Write Ray Henry in
care OF The Star about your omn
social security or retirement
problem. Please enclose a
stamped. Seif-addresSed enuelope
and rs cents in coin.l
The next Security for You column
will appear Mcndoy.