APL Federal Credit Union was officially chartered on April 29, 1954, when the Bureau of Federal Credit Unions approved the organizing group’s application. The group, consisting of employees at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), formed the credit union to serve the financial needs of the Applied Physics Lab’s workforce. From those humble beginnings, the credit union grew slowly but steadily for the next 47 years, serving as the primary financial institution for the vast majority of JHU/APL employees and their families.