In September 1898, salesmen John H. Nicholson and Samuel E. Hill shared room 19 in the Central Hotel in Boscobel and wondered whether an organization could be started for the mutual help and recognition of Christian travelers. A chance meeting between them on May 31, 1899, in Beaver Dam led to plans for an organizational meeting held July 1 in Janesville. There they were joined by William J. Knights, who suggested the name "The Gideons" from the Book of Judges, and Hill was chosen as the first president. By 1948, the fiftieth anniversary, the Gideons Commercial Travelers' Association of America had become worldwide and had distributed over 15 1/2 million Bibles, Psalms, and New Testaments to hotels, the armed forces, and young people.