About Us

The National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, Inc. has a rich history that spans across a century. Originally organized in 1924 as the Independent National Funeral Directors Association, under the leadership of R. R. Reed, it was established by a group of licensed funeral directors who aimed to maintain high professional standards for the betterment of the public and their own business community. While they had initially collaborated with the National Business League, it became evident that their full potential could only be realized through an association solely focused on the funeral industry.

The first official president of the association was G. William Saffell, Jr. of Shelbyville, Kentucky. In 1926, the association changed its name to the Progressive National Funeral Directors Association. Then, in 1940, a merger occurred between the National Colored Undertakers Association and the members of the Independent National Funeral Directors Association who were still part of the organization. This merger resulted in the formation of the National Negro Funeral Directors Association. In 1949, Robert "Bob" Miller, a Chicago funeral home owner, was elected as the association's first General Secretary. Ten years later, in 1957, the association adopted its present name, the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association. In 2019, the term “An International Association” was added.

African American funeral directors have played significant roles in various historical events. For example, during the 1800s Yellow Fever epidemic, the Free African Society provided volunteers to assist the affected white population. These volunteers were responsible for gathering and removing the human remains.

In 1978, African American funeral directors traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to recover the victims of the Reverend Jim Jones Mass Casualty incident in Guyana. Many of these victims were then laid to rest by their loved ones in African American funeral homes. Andrew W. Nix, Jr., a member and past national treasurer of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, managed the handling of the human remains from this tragedy.

The association's state association, The Georgia Funeral Service Practitioners Association, provided assistance during the mass flooding in Albany, Georgia in 1994. They played a crucial role in relocating over 400 displaced caskets from cemeteries throughout Albany. In April of 1995, the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association's State Association, the State Embalmers and Funeral Directors Association of Oklahoma, collaborated with others in response to the Oklahoma City bombing, which claimed the lives of 168 people. Their collective efforts aimed to provide support and assistance during this tragic event. Under the guidance of John McGuire, the lead Disaster Coordinator for Washington, DC, funeral directors traveled to Dover Air Force Base to receive the victims of the Croatian air crash. This group included Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and other members of his party.

The National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association encompasses several organizations within its association. These include: Epsilon Nu Delta Mortuary Fraternity, Inc., founded in 1944 in Chicago, Illinois; the National Ladies Auxiliary founded in 1952; the Birdies and the 100 Black Women in Funeral Service founded in 1993. The National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, Inc, An International Association is composed of state and local associations spread across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.