U.S. Chamber of Commerces Small Business Nation

Institute for Organization Management, the U.S. Chamber’s nonprofit professional development program for chamber and association executives, originated in 1921 when the National School for Commercial Secretaries convened at Northwestern University.

The Chamber served as a sponsor of the school, as did the National Association of Commercial Organization Secretaries, now the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. In 1932, the American Trade Association Executives, now the American Society of Association Executives, joined as a co-sponsor of the school, and it was later renamed Institute for Organization Management.

The original mission of the program was to “encourage successful non-profit organizations and strive to enhance the professional development of the greatest number of chamber of commerce and association professionals by providing a comprehensive set of learning experiences.” To this day, Institute remains one of the nation’s oldest continuing adult education programs.

Architect Cass Gilbert, esteemed designer of the nation's Supreme Court building, designs the U.S. Chamber headquarters building.

In the 1930s, the Chamber vigorously opposed the drift toward increased federal intervention and control and reinforced its traditional position that “the relation of government to industry is primarily that of preserving equality of opportunity for all.”

In a speech he made more than 10 years later, Chamber President Earl 0. Shreve, commented on the Chamber’s determination during the Depression years to maintain its principles of human and economic freedom, and of limited government. Mr. Shreve explained that the Chamber always believed that people deserve security, pensions and the good things of life. But, he said, in the legislative contrivances of the 1930s, which brought more and more government into the life of the average citizen, “we saw inherent dangers of clamping ourselves into a socialized beneficent government, certain to be regretted later on.”

“The Chamber Executive Committee met with President Harriman at the Chamber, reviewed the stunning developments and favorably voted a resolution endorsing President Roosevelt’s action.  This done, the 10-member committee donned outwear gear against the inclement weather and walked across Lafayette Square to deliver a copy of the resolution personally to the new President.  The document read: “We pledge the utmost cooperation of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, through its 1,500 member organizations representing every industry and section of the nation, towards making immediately effective the President’s emergency banking and budget measures.”