So, the John Birch Society was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 9th, 1958. Oh, I need to know! Bad! By a man named Robert Welsh, Jr. Welsh named the organization after a Baptist missionary and former soldier who was allegedly killed by communists in China just after World War II. Welch chose John Birch as the name for his society because it was an obscure name, which is perfect as a template upon which you can write your own story. Welch painted Birch as, quote, the first casualty of the Cold War.