The beginning of Social Security Numbers

The first Social Security Number (SSN) issued was not the lowest number possible, and the lowest number was not the first official SSN. In fact, the first number issued may not really the first number issued at all as hundreds of thousands of SSNs were issued on the initial day.

Back in November 1936, the Social Security Board did not have a network of field offices so the Board contracted support from the U.S. Postal Service. The first batch of SSNs were thus distributed through 45,000 post offices throughout the country. Although these post offices distributed the numbers to individuals, 1,074 post offices were deemed as “typing centers” where the cards themselves were prepared and recorded. And even still, these assigned numbers only became official when the information was received, and a master record created, in the Board’s headquarters in Baltimore, MD.

By December 1936, the first block of 1,000 records were assembled and started their 9-step process that would result in the creation of their permanent master records in Baltimore. From this primary stack, the head of the Division of Accounting Operations in the Chandler Building, Joe Fay, pulled off the top record and declared it to be the first official SSN. This selected record belonged to a 23-year old male from New Rochelle, NY and had the assigned number 055-09-0001.

The lowest possible SSN assigned was 001-01-0001. Initially, this number was reserved for the Social Security Board Chairman John Winant. Chairman Winant declined this offering. Soon after, the Board decided to issue this historic number to the first applicant from New Hampshire, the home state of the Chairman. This honor went to Grace Owen of Concord, NH.

For more details on this part of American history, please visit the Social Security Administration’s Web site.

Posted by Jeff Rae on Aug 02, 2011 at 6:46 AM