The Non-Conformists Union was founded in 1911, on the crest of a wave of Progressivism. But the history of Local 404 is actually longer than that.

The organization that eventually became Local 404 of the NCU was founded in 1903 by Lawrence C. "Noodles" Fagan, formerly a newsboy and by then a vaudeville comedian. Mr. Fagan's new organization was then known as The Fraternal Order of Nonconformists, International.

"Noodles" and Elsie Fagan created the FONI in an effort to foster nonconformism on an international level - first in the United States, then in Mexico, and eventually in Europe and North Africa. The manifesto of the FONI was widely read and influential; and their professional travels gave the Fagans a perfect opportunity to speak to nonconformists worldwide and encourage them to unite and further their common interests.

These ambassadors of nonconformism spread their message and left local chapters in their wake, binding wide-spread individualists under a common banner. Their frequent tours kept them in contact with the new chapters and ensured communication between them. This personal communication resulted in a uniform platform of commonality not often possible in that era, before the spread of telecommunication and frequent travel.