The Association was formed in 1874, under the leadership of John Radovich, based on the organization of the old Dalmatian seamen's guilds. The group became the center of social activity for the numerous Dalmatian immigrants in the New Orleans area, many of whom were involved in the local oyster business. The purpose of the body, according to its charter, was "...to look to the moral and material improvement of its members, to aid them in sickness and in need, to contribute to the support of its widows and orphans, and to bury its dead." By the early 1960s the organization numbered over 300 members and served as "...an important link of the people of Yugoslav background with the culture of their forefathers." The Association's tomb, in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, remains the burial place for many of its members.
From the description of Records, 1961. 1961. (New Orleans Public Library). WorldCat record id: 25681457
