Origins of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce

2019 is the 100th
anniversary of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. A preliminary meeting was held
on May 27, 1919, in Peoria with delegates from 40 other Illinois cities
attending. Truman T. Pierson, the business manager of the Quincy Chamber of
Commerce spoke about the need for a state organization. The goal was to “promote
and protect the business climate of Illinois.” Pierson had previously mentioned
a state-wide chamber at an April meeting in Chicago of the various chambers, and
civic and industrial clubs from around the state. Pierson was from New Jersey
and had worked in New York. He explained how those state chambers were organized
and how one could be organized in Illinois. The meeting attendees approved the
idea and appointed a committee to present the idea at the Chamber of Commerce
presidents meeting in July in Quincy.

The U. S. Chamber of Commerce was
started in 1912 by President William Howard Taft. He was interested in
countering the labor movement, which was active at the time. In 1919, the
organization created a headquarters in Washington, D. C. The national organization concentrated on the
economy and lobbied for pro-business legislation. State chambers worked on
state issues. Over the years the Illinois chamber worked to start a State
Planning Commission, the State Police organization, and later a State Board of
Education.

The Quincy Area Chamber of
Commerce started life as the Young Men’s Business Association in 1887. Their
goal was to improve the business climate and to promote, protect, and serve
business interests.

Nearly 100 young men attended the
first organizational meeting on Saturday afternoon, April 23, 1887. They
selected a board of directors and stated their purpose as “booming” the city of
Quincy. The following Monday, the Quincy Daily Journal said, ”Now, let every
young man who wants to see Quincy get new railroads, get new manufactories and
secure the attention of outside capitalists, join this association and add his
mite to the mighty force of organized effort.”

The Young Men’s Business
Association lasted 10 years. By 1897, the group was smaller and in debt. Taking
its place was the Chamber of Commerce which paid off the debt and worked toward
establishing a normal school (teacher’s college) in Quincy. When that did not
happen they directed their efforts toward getting more railroad access. They
supported the “Corn Kitchen” at the Paris Exposition of 1900 which they hoped would
result in more foreign demand for Illinois corn. They also encouraged the
planting of sugar beets, hoping to have a sugar beet factory in Quincy. Every
year they appealed to Congress to appropriate more money for Mississippi River
dredging and removal of sandbars. Their other projects included improving roads
in Adams County and eastern Missouri, and establishing a location for a city
livestock market. The group was instrumental in securing visits to Quincy by
Illinois Governor John Riley Tanner and President William McKinley in 1899.

As the business manager for the
Quincy chamber, Pierson continued to speak about the need for an Illinois
Chamber of Commerce. At the May meeting of the Liberty Highway Association in
Springfield he said “Illinois needs an organization for civic and commercial
betterment ‘of by and for the people’ of the state.” His speech was reprinted
in the May 6, 1919 Quincy Daily Herald. He said the Quincy chamber had been
talking about the benefits of such a state-wide organization for over a year.
He outlined what other states were doing and said, “There must be a body of
level-headed business men, who are neither politicians nor theorists, who will
have advice and consent to give when it comes to the development of universal
and equitable taxes, and construction of public works, economical disposition
of the necessities of life, protection of the savings of people from wildest
investments, etc.” He envisioned an inclusive organization of civic,
industrial, commercial, and professional men which would bridge the gap between
employers and employees. He also mentioned that the national Chamber of
Commerce was founded by Illinois businessmen during the Taft administration in
1912.

Illinois Governor Frank Lowden was
in favor of such an organization and agreed to speak at the Quincy convention in
June 1919. The goal of the organizers was to have an attendance of 1,000
businessmen. The Peoria meeting in May had appointed 100 men from civic
organizations around the state to see the goal met. The Quincy delegates went
on record to suggest a strong organization with a leader from outside of the
state who would be worth the $12,000 starting salary.

Bishop M. Edward Fawcett of the
Episcopal Church was the president of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce. He was
the former chaplain of the Fifth Illinois Infantry. He strongly lobbied the
state and local businessmen to hold this important meeting in Quincy. Bishop Fawcett was elected as the meeting’s temporary
chairman. At the two-day meeting, the constitution and bylaws were adopted. The
group decided to divide the state into five districts. Each of these districts
would have a vice president, four directors, and a director at large. The
elected president and the five vice presidents would serve as an advisory board
to a state chamber.

Unfortunately only 80 delegates
attended the meeting, not the 1,000 hoped for. The Quincy Chamber of Commerce
assembly room in their building and the Newcomb Hotel were used for the various
sessions. Charter members were invited to enroll in the organization with a
membership fee of $10. Commercial clubs and individuals were enrolled. Three
levels of membership were established. The active membership for individuals
and clubs was $10, sustaining membership for firms and corporations was $100,
and association members for clubs was five cents per member. It was also
suggested that a junior chamber be organized with the boy scouts.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce
organization was one of the earliest state-wide chambers. Although begun in
Quincy through the work of Pierson and Bishop Fawcett, the permanent
organization wasn’t finalized until later that year in Chicago. The chamber was
chartered by the Secretary of State on August 2, 1919.

Sources

“A State Chamber of Commerce is Formed.”

Quincy Daily Whig

, April 11, 1919, 12.

“Bishop Fawcett was Good Chaplain.”

Quincy Daily Whig

, May 30, 1919, 3.

“The Chamber of Commerce.”

Quincy
Daily Herald

, July 10, 1900, 5.

“Endorsed at Springfield.”

Quincy Daily Herald

, May 6, 1919, 5.

“First thoughts.”

Illinois
Country Living

, April 2019, 4.

“Gov. Lowden to
be Speaker for State Meeting.”

Quincy
Daily Whig

, April 17, 1919, 3.

Illinois Chamber
of Commerce.

“Make the Final Plans for State Meeting in the City.”

Quincy Daily Whig

, May 28, 1919, 2.

“To Organize the State Chamber of Commerce on June 16.”

Quincy Daily Whig

, April 16, 1919, 2.

“Our Chamber.” The Quincy Area Chamber
of Commerce.

“Temporary Organization of Illinois Chamber of Commerce Founded Here”

Quincy Daily Whig

, June 18, 1919, 3.

“Young Men’s Business Association.”

Quincy Daily Journal

, April 25, 1887.