Greater Pensacola Chamber History

THE GREATER PENSACOLA CHAMBER IS ONE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA’S OLDEST ORGANIZATIONS

Following the American Civil War, when settlers flowed west, forming new towns and villages, each settlement quickly sought to establish a local system of commerce through the building of hotels, colleges, banks and special attractions. To accomplish this, and to generate capital to promote the area, required cooperation. Business people soon discovered the obvious: combining forces in a voluntary business development “association” made good sense. Across the nation, local chambers of commerce were formed.

On Sept.16, 1889, our organization became reality. The initial meeting was held in the seven-year old Opera House, where charter members elected railroad magnate William Dudley Chipley to lead.

By 1889, Pensacola had grown to a population of almost 10,000. The many lumbering interests were expanding rapidly, and as shipping grew to carry wood products to other nations, the waterfront spawned a host of companies, dedicated to caring for the needs of vessels and crews. Soon, hotels, commercial shops, professional men, contractors and builders, places of entertainment and more emerged. The City of Pensacola was served by one railroad running north, to connect with the Louisville and Nashville system, plus the new road, which Col. Chipley’s forces had built between Pensacola and the Chattahoochee River. There was representation from various professions, including attorney William Fisher and several physicians. E.R. Ross, MD, was the Chamber’s second chairman, serving from 1890 to 1896.

By 1901, the Southern Manufacturer Magazine reported more positive results of the Chamber at work and businessgovernment cooperation. In 1900, Pensacola’s port shipments were valued at almost $14.5 million, ten times those of Tampa, the second largest port in Florida.

At this turn of the century, many new corporations were created here, including St. Anthony’s Hospital; Baars, Dunwoody & Company; the Pensacola Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company; American National Bank; the Southern States Lumber Company; and contractors, such as J.H. Crona and C.H. Turner.

The area’s military establishment had also seen new activity, especially during the Spanish American War, when improvements were made to coastal defenses. The community’s successful lobbying for military improvements following the April 1898 Declaration of War against Spain suggests that the Chamber had by then established a military affairs component, which would promote and defend that portion of the area’s economy. However, in the decade that immediately followed, the military’s position here declined. A new commandant at the Navy Yard, ADM Lucien Young, would arrive and ably defend the yard’s position, but a new commission appointed by Secretary of the Navy George Von Meyer recommended the yard’s closing, which ultimately occurred in October of 1911.

Five years into the 20th century, Pensacola was showing the positive impact of progress through its chamber of commerce. The population continued to climb, and the Chamber’s national and international workings had paid major commercial dividends, for in 1904, 267 steam and 147 sailing vessels called here, carrying a total of 658,000 tons of cargo and deposits of $2.8 million. By 1905, there had been new additions to Chamber leadership, who interfaced with city and county leaders regularly. Those contacts proved important at this juncture, for Chamber officials and members were working diligently to upgrade public facilities and services.

The years that followed brought many changes as well: the institution of core values, Chamber committee structures to facilitate the many programs, recognizing the evolution of national trends, new emphasis on performance quality, the broadening of member services, ongoing business development programs, educational reform and many, many others.

In 133 years, the Greater Pensacola Chamber has meant countless things to countless people. When its doors first opened, the community it served was a rough boomtown, lacking all but the simplest niceties with almost no utilities and no hard-surfaced roads.

As part of its work, the Chamber became part of the transition from navy yard to space-age naval aviation, and the community emerged from the era of clay streets to interstate highways. Relationships with all branches of government grew, and the Chamber would be credited with many of the elements of industrial growth, quality-of-life improvements, the evolution of Downtown Pensacola, the community’s educational capabilities and the protection of business interests and rights.

Where in 1889 there was a tiny Chamber office and virtually no staff, by the year 2004, the organization, now nationally accredited, had its first woman president, a thriving business base and a staff of qualified professionals. Today Pensacola bears little resemblance to the city that W.D. Chipley governed as mayor thanks to the hard work of the Chamber.

Today, we have more than 1,150 members with a re-energized commitment to become a worldclass economic development organization. Our efforts will continue to benefit Greater Pensacola, bringing economic prosperity to the region through a partnership with city and county government, along with the life blood of this organization, our business partners in the community.

IMPORTANT DATES IN PENSACOLA CHAMBER HISTORY

1889 – Pensacola Chamber of Commerce is established

1895 – Young Men’s Business League is created 1900 – Port shipments valued at $14.5 million 1901 – Increased activity at military establishments 1904 – Chamber sees significant commercial dividends 1917 – US enters World War II and Chamber forms alliance with Rotary Club to spearhead Liberty Loan drives, rationing and building of armed forces

1923 – Navy announces completion of Corry Field in part, a Chamber project) 1924 – First great Florida “land bust,” followed by the stock market crash in ‘29

1937 – Air service to and from Pensacola begins on a limited basis 1939 – Saufley Field is opened for training 1949 – Completion of Jefferson St. to Garden St. and requirement of razing of chamber-owned laundry-theatre building (requiring relocation of the Chamber) 1961 – Local port traffic becomes seriously impaired by Castro’s successful takeover of Cuba

1967 – University of West Florida sees first three buildings completed 1972 – Work on Gulf Islands National Seashore began, with restoration of Fort Pickens

1982 – Chamber seeks accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce

1986 – Navy celebrates 75th Anniversary in Pensacola 1990 – Chamber committees develop task forces to face concerns of drugs in the workplace and school violence 1994 – Annual chamber planning is institutionalized and a mission statement is constructed

1994 – Foundations For The Future is established

1999 – Received re-accreditation from the US Chamber of Commerce

2001 – Evon Emerson is appointed as the first female president 2004 – Imagine a Greater Pensacola campaign is established 2004 – Name changed to the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce

2007 – Pensacola branding campaign is launched; more than 30,000 magnets distributed with positive descriptors of Pensacola: Glorious, Beautiful, Heroic, Innovative, Genuine & Spirited 2008 – The Chamber’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) opens its doors at the Pensacola State College Downtown Center

2011 – Raises $8.9 million for Vision 2015, engaging 120+ investors in the campaign 2011 – Creates a Sites and Buildings Committee to establish a database for shovel-ready sites and buildings 2012 – Name changes to the Greater Pensacola Chamber to reflect a more regional focus; new brand is unveiled, featuring the four triangular arrows you see today 2013 – Vision 2015 goal is achieved two years earlier than promised with 3,300 high-wage jobs announced; more than 8,000 created to date

2013 – Former Florida State Representative Jerry Maygarden hired as President & CEO of the Chamber

2014 – Greater Pensacola Chamber celebrates its 125th anniversary 2014 – Clay Ingram hired as President and CEO of the Chamber 2015 – Celebrated a successful Vision 2015 campaign

2016 – Legendary Florida State University football coach, Bobby Bowden, gave keynote address on leadership at 126th Annual Meeting

2017 – The Greater Pensacola Chamber moved into its new office on Palafox Pier

2017 – The West Florida Defense Alliance (WFDA) is formed to support regional military efforts now and in the future 2019 – Clay Ingram named CEO of Volunteer FL by Gov. Desantis 2019 – Todd Thomson is named new President + CEO

2019 – Chamber holds inaugural Total Resource Campaign bringing in more than $220,000 to support 2020 Chamber Initiatives 2020 – Chamber Foundation votes in favor of bring the Circuit 1 Human Trafficking Task Force under its umbrella to begin US Chamber led initiative bringing awareness to human trafficking within the general business community 2021 – Chamber establishes new offices in partnership with Pensacola State College at the Co:Lab Building on West Garden St.

2021 – Pensacola named “Great American Defense Community” 2021 – Pensacola 2030 strategic plan established 2021 – Sara Lefevers is named executive director of the Pensacola Chamber Foundation