BUFFALO, N.Y. – When Betty Lou Young, who is retiring as manager of Buffalo Police FCU, began her career at the tiny credit union as a part-time file clerk, America had yet to enter World War II and FDR was beginning his third term as president, almost 70 years ago.
Young, now 83, says it is time to turn her attention from making loans to police officers from the first floor of the police headquarters and start cashing in on the happiness of spending more time with family and friends.
Young began work at the credit union at 14 when her father, Police Officer Fred Adams, tipped her off in 1941 that a part-time summer job as a file clerk had opened at the credit union. Two years earlier, her father and nine other officers had chipped in $25 apiece to start the credit union.
When two other employees left after the attack on Pearl Harbor to take better paying wartime jobs Young was offered full-time work. With full-time work, her salary increased from $11 to $18 a week, and she was the envy of all her girlfriends who held lesser paying jobs at five-and-dime retail outlets, she said.
As time passed, she advanced to teller and in five years was named assistant treasurer-manager. When the treasurer-manager passed away in 1974, Young was promoted to treasurer-manager. Today, the credit union, still run out of police headquarters, has $6 million in assets.
