Sons of the American Revolution The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution ( SAR ) is a Louisville , Kentucky - based fraternal organization in the United States . It is a 501 ( c ) 3 non - profit corporation that describes its purpose as " maintaining and extending the institutions of American freedom , an appreciation for true patriotism , a respect for our national symbols , the value of American citizenship , and the unifying force of " e pluribus unum " that has created , from the people of many nations , one nation and one people . " Sons of the American Revolution is a patriotic organization . Its members are male descendants of people who served in the Revolutionary War , or who contributed to establishing the independence of the United States . The society is dedicated to perpetuating American ideals and traditions , and to protecting the Constitution . Constitution Day , Flag Day , and Bill of Rights Day were established through its efforts . The society was founded on April 30 , 1889 . Its official name is the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution . It has members in the United States , France , Switzerland , and the United Kingdom . Its national headquarters are in Louisville , Kentucky . The organization should not be confused with the Sons of the Revolution ( SR ) , a separate organization founded on February 22 , 1876 by businessman John Austin Stevens and members of the The Society of the Cincinnati . SAR Founder William Osborn McDowell disagreed with the Sons of the Revolution requirement at that time that all societies were to be subordinate to the New York society . History . The first organization of descendants of Revolutionary War patriots was established in San Francisco , California in 1876 . A group of men who were descendants of Revolutionary War veterans gathered to celebrate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States . They also wanted to honor the men and women who pledged their lives , fortunes , and livelihood to the striving for independence from Great Britain . This group formed an organization called the Sons of Revolutionary Sires ( SRWS ) . There is , however , no direct link between the SRWS and the SAR except that members of the SRWS were permitted to join the SAR after its founding in 1889 . The history of the SAR can be traced to the founding of the Sons of the Revolution the New York Society of which was organized in 1883 . The SR was founded by John Austin Stevens who envisioned an aristocratic social and hereditary organization along the lines of the Society of the Cincinnati . In 1889 William Osborn McDowell , a New Jersey financier and businessman , organized the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the Revolution but was unwilling to accept the SR ' s requirement that other state societies be subordinate to the New York society . Furthermore , McDowell wanted the society to become more of a mass movement of descendants of Revolutionary patriots rather than an exclusive social club . As a result , McDowell organized the Sons of the American Revolution ( SAR ) at Fraunces Tavern in New York on April 30 , 1889 . This was the centennial for the inauguration of George Washington as the First President of the United States of America in 1789 . SAR membership number 1 was assigned to McDowell . In addition to organizing the SAR , McDowell worked with six women to organize the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on July 29 , 1890 . The SAR was formally granted a congressional charter by an act of Congress under Title 36 of the United States Code on June 9 , 1906 . The act was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt , who was a member . Membership . Membership in the society is open to any male of " good repute " who is at least 18 years of age who can prove lineal bloodline descent from an ancestor who actively supported the American Revolution . Acceptable ancestors include : No state society or chapter may discriminate against an applicant on the basis of race or creed . The SAR claims a membership of over 30 , 000 members in over 500 chapters representing all 50 states in the United States , as well as societies in Canada , Mexico , France , Germany , Switzerland , and the United Kingdom . Overall , about 175 , 000 descendants have been admitted since the founding of the S . A . R . in 1890 . Governance . The governance of the Sons of the American Revolution is made up of 10 National ( General ) Officers , 15 Vice - Presidents that preside over separate geographical regions and a Trustee elected from each state and international society . These officers meet several times over the year to discuss business pertaining to the society . The National Officers meet at least four times during their term of office , unless special meetings are called . The Trustees meet twice each year at the Society ' s Headquarters in Louisville , Kentucky . These meetings , known as the Fall and Spring Leadership Meetings , are normally held in late September and early March . During the Leadership Meetings committee recommendations and the society ' s budget are approved . While only the National Officers , Vice - Presidents and Trustees have the right to vote on the floor , all SAR members are welcome to attend and may request appointment to committees . The National Officers and Trustees also meet during the National Congress held in late June or early July of each year . Unlike the Leadership Meetings which always take place at the Society ' s National Headquarters , the National Congress is held in different locations throughout the United States . Locations are often selected in order to honor a historical event in United States history or in the history of the SAR , and there is an effort to alternate the meetings between the Eastern and Western United States . The National Congress is responsible for electing the National Officers and approving changes to the Society ' s constitution , along with any other motions brought before it . In addition to the National Officers , Vice - Presidents and Trustees , State and International Society Presidents and specially elected delegates from each society also attend with voting privileges . The number of delegates are determined by each State or International Society ' s membership size . In addition to the larger meetings previously listed , there are over 60 standing and special committees that SAR members are appointed to in order to oversee the Society ' s welfare . Some of these committees include : facilities , insurance , genealogy , library , merchandise , medals and awards . All SAR members are welcome to participate on committees and are appointed by the Society ' s President General for a one - year term . There are no term - limits and all committee members have the right to vote on the committee ' s decisions . The current President - General for 2012 - 2013 is Steven A . Leishman from the Delaware Society . He was sworn in as President - General at the 122nd National Congress , held in Phoenix , Arizona . The Executive Director is Don Shaw of the Kentucky Society . Genealogical library . The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution has held a collection of genealogical reference dating back to 1889 . Materials were originally kept by the Secretary General or Registrar General up until 1926 , when the materials were moved to the Registrar General ' s office in Washington D . C . in 1927 , this collection was moved to the recently purchased Sixteenth Street Headquarters Building , and the collection had grown to 914 books by 1933 . From this point until the move of Headquarters from Washington D . C . to Louisville , KY , the book collection grew at a rapid pace , growing to approximately 25 , 000 items by 1988 . At this point , the Library was on the Second floor of the Headquarters building on South Fourth Street , and possessed a 544 - square - foot vault for books not out in the library due to space . Because of continuing growth , the SAR Library was moved in 2010 to a renovated building on West Main Street in the heart of the Historic Museum District of downtown Louisville . By this point , the Library collection had grown to over 58 , 000 items , mostly covering the Revolutionary War period , but also containing other genealogical materials . The library collection includes family histories , state genealogy materials , federal censuses , Revolutionary War pension applications , and CD collections , and the library separates materials based on State . The library also provides access to online research databases , including Ancestry . com , Footnote . com , and Heritage Quest Online . Merchandise . The society operates a Merchandise Department that sells items intended for both SAR members and the general public . Among the products available to the general public are : clothing apparel for men and women , Revolutionary War replicas such as Liberty Bells and Field Cannons , jewelry for men and women such as lapel pins and cuff links , along with cups , mugs , key - chains , books , CD ' s , videos and knickknacks . Items intended for SAR members only include : clothing , decals , license plate holders and frames , certificates and medals corresponding to SAR activities , medals designed to reward active and retired military personnel , firefighters , EMS , JROTC and ROTC , individuals involved in education , Eagle Scouts and many others . The Merchandise Dept . is located on the lower level of the SAR Genealogical Library , located at 809 West Main Street , just across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum . The department also has an online store at SAR Online Store . Activities . The society is involved in historical research , raising funds for local scholarships and educational awards , and preservation of sites and documents related to the American Revolution . The SAR petitioned Congress to store Revolutionary era documents in a fire - proof area and make them available to the public , leading to the creation of the National Archives in 1913 . It is also active in cataloging and marking Revolutionary War patriot graves and conducts an annual Eagle Scout scholarship program . The society is active in promoting " patriotism , " and was instrumental in the establishment of Constitution Day . Several SAR societies and chapters have active color guard groups that appear in various public and private venues as a means of community outreach . The Sons of the American Revolution hosts two Leadership Meetings and one National Congress every year . The two leadership meetings are held in the Spring and Fall in Louisville , KY at the Brown Hotel , just down the street from Headquarters . The National Congress is held at a different location every year during the Summer . The 2013 National Congress will be held July 5 – 9 in Kansas City , Missouri . NSSAR Museum . The Society ' s headquarters , based in Louisville , Kentucky , features original and copied art that commemorates important people and events of the Revolutionary War , as well as uniforms , flags and documents . One of the most prized possessions of the SAR is George Washington ' s Signet Ring , which is only on display once a year and stays under protection the remainder of the year . Visitation is free . Currently the SAR is in the process of renovating a new building in the Museum district of downtown Louisville , located on Main Street . Here the new " Center for Advancing Americas Heritage " will be built . It will house The Genealogical Library , located on West Main Street across from the Louisville Slugger Museum . Merchandise has also been moved to the Main Street building , while the Museum is still located at the Fourth Street building until completion of the CAAH building in 2014 . Currently the SAR is raising funds to finish the renovations of the building where the museum will be located . Plans are for renovation to begin in October 2012 . All of the paid staff for the Sons of the American Revolution work at the headquarters in Louisville . Symbolism of the SAR Medal . The medal is made of a Maltese cross surrounded by a garland , with a relief of George Washington in a center circle . The cross ' s vertical bar represents the commandment " You Shall Love Your God " ; the horizontal bar represents the commandment " You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself . " The four limbs are a reminder of the four cardinal virtues ; its eight points represent eight spiritual injunctions : Surrounding the relief of Washington in the center are the words " LIBERTAS ET PATRIA , " a reminder of the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution . Notable SAR members . Presidents of the United States who were SAR members : Note - Presidents Grover Cleveland , Richard Nixon , Bill Clinton and Barack Obama had or have qualifying lineage but did not join the Sons of the American Revolution . Presidents Woodrow Wilson , John F . Kennedy and Ronald Reagan did not have qualifying lineage . All U . S . Presidents not mentioned above died prior to the founding of the SAR in 1889 . Other SAR members of note :