History of AACoC
History of AAACoC
History of Chambers of Commerce
As long as there has been trade, the "chamber of commerce," in one form or another, has existed. The beginning of the chamber movement can be traced back almost 6,000 years to the city of Mari in Mesopotamia. The evolution of the modern chamber began in 1599 when merchants in Marseilles, France, formed an independent voluntary organization to represent commercial interests of the port. During the 18th century chambers were established in French cities, as well as England and Ireland.
The first American chamber of commerce was the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, organized in 1768. At the suggestion of President William Howard Taft to establish a system of national cooperation between business and government, the Chamber of Commerce of the United States was created on April 22, 1912. Today there are nearly 7,000 chambers throughout the country that employ staff ranging in size from a single part-time employee to a full-time staff exceeding one hundred.
History of the Angola Area Chamber of Commerce
Plans for the formation of a new chamber for the purpose of promoting the resources and increasing the business of Angola launched in November 1937. A temporary board of six directors chosen at a public meeting had conducted an in-depth study into possible ways of supplying Angola with an effective agency devoted to citywide promotion. Laurence Vaughn, of Michigan City, an experienced commercial organization executive for many years and well known in Indiana, was hired to direct the campaign and to draw the movement together. Local businessmen supplied his compensation. Soon after Vaughn's study results were released, a membership campaign began. Dues were $10 per year. The temporary board of directors began six departments, each with definite responsibilities for community promotion and each operated with volunteers. The six departments were lake resort promotion, retail trade promotion, education and civic affairs, industrial promotion, agricultural development, and chamber maintenance. When the chamber was finalized, it was the end of December. This group of amazing businessmen recruited 122 new members in 2 months. The 122 members elected the first official board of directors made up of 14 men.
We are grateful to these men and their pride in their community to give personal time and commitment in order to sell the idea, promote it, and to protect the future economic growth of Angola by having a vision and by turning that vision into action.