The middle of the Great Depression might not seem like the best time to start a business, but for an organization formed to help people, it was the perfect time. Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union (now SchoolsFirst FCU) was founded in 1934, when 125 school employees pooled $1,200 and established a financial institution to help improve each other's lives.

Initially, one Santa Ana High School teacher — Harry Jackson — managed OCTFCU from the back office of World Travel in Santa Ana. Founded on the "people helping people" credit union philosophy that still exists today, OCTFCU served its Members by offering competitive rates and terms on loans and savings.

"The Little White House," as the credit union was affectionately known, provided financial safety and security for Members. From its modest beginnings, what set the credit union apart from other financial institutions was the common bond among Members - a bond that is still felt when walking into a SchoolsFirst FCU branch today.

As SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union continues to serve its Members through the generations, it will identify ways to meet the changing needs of the Membership in the 21st century. The credit union will put new technology to work for its Members, while continuing the tradition of personalized service that has become the hallmark of OCTFCU and now SchoolsFirst FCU. With service as its primary goal and a not-for-profit philosophy as its basis, SchoolsFirst FCU is about people helping people — freely — democratically — to improve each other's lives.