Junior Chamber International has been shaping leaders around
the world for almost 60 years. The Junior Chambers concept began
as a local movement became citywide and then national. In 1944 the
organization became international.
However, the seeds of Junior Chamber sprouted much earlier, at
a dance club in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, which was formed to elevate
the social significance of its members. The leader of the club was
Henry Giessenbier, a bank cashier, who today is referred to as the
founder of the Junior Chamber movement. Gissenbier organized a meeting
of the Federation of Dancing Clubs on Octover 13. 1915, at Mission
inn in St. Louis. At this meeting 32 young men agreed to form the
Young Men's Progressive Civic Association (YMPCA).
In 1926 the YMPCA changed its name to Junior Citizens. The shortened
version of Junior Citizens - JC became the name by which members
would be known. The Junior Citizens affiliated with St. Louis Chamber
of Commerce in 1918. In January of 1920 the first national organization,
The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce was formed at a meeting
attended by members of 29 clubs from throughout the United States.
At this gathering Gissenbier was elected first National President.
Other instrumental in the formational of what was to become Junior
Chamber International were John W. Armbruster and Andrew Mungenast.
Armbruster played a key role in holding the organization together
during the World War I and Mungenast took his place during the 1920s.
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Junior Chambers developed in several other countries from the
1920s to the early 1940s culminating in the formation of the international
organization in 1944, the official 'birth' of Junior Chamber International
took place in December 1944 at the inter-American Conference in
Mexico city. Members gathered at this conference with the hope that
mutual understanding and friendship would help prevent any future
wars. Raul Garcia Vidal of Mexico was elected the first JCI president.
JCI was formally established in February 1964 at the first JCI
congress, held in Panama City, Panama. That year, the JCI constitution
was drafted, and a young member, C. William "Bill" Brownfield,
authored the inspirational JCI creed.
The JCI Senate - a group of past and current JCI members, each
of whole has been recognized for outstanding service was formed
in 1952 through the efforts of 1951-52 JCI president Philip T. R.
Pugsley (Canada). Pugsley was also instrumental in the decision
to establish a permanent JCI headquarters and retain a full-time
secretary general. |
