1974-1983 growth and expansion: the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce expands its advocacy role on a number of fronts.The Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce launched its eighth decade by achieving a significant milestone worth crowing about. With 7,500 business members in the seven-county Southeast Michigan Southeast Michigan, also called Southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries, and is home to slightly over half the state's population. regional marketplace in 1974, the GDCC GDCC Greater Dallas Community of Churches (Texas) GDCC Greater Dundalk Community Council was the third-largest chamber of commerce in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . An equally important milestone was achieved the next year when the Chamber began offering Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Shield A US not-for-profit health care insurer that is a reimbursement intermediary for physicians. Cf Blue Cross. of Michigan group insurance for businesses with 25 employees or less. Also gaining momentum was the Chamber's annual PRIDE clean-up program, the largest citywide neighborhood beautification beau·ti·fy tr. & intr.v. beau·ti·fied, beau·ti·fy·ing, beau·ti·fies To make or become beautiful. beau program in the nation. The fourth annual event, in 1974, drew more than 100,000 volunteers, including Detroit Mayor Coleman Young For other persons named Coleman Young, see Coleman Young (disambiguation). Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1994. , and went on to win the top award from Keep America Beautiful Keep America Beautiful is an environmental organization founded in 1953. It is the largest community improvement organization in the United States, with over 560 affiliate organizations (similar to local chapters) and more than 15,000 participating communities in their signature Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At a time when Detroit was saddled with a serious image problem, the Chamber went into the entertainment business, creating a lively 30-minute musical review titled "My Detroit--Welcome To It." Featuring an attractive cast of young dancers and singers, the upbeat revue played before 75 live audiences totaling about 200,000 people--including fans at Lions and Tigers games--plus millions more on television and radio, and ultimately became the basis of an educational package offered to Detroit-area schools. On a more serious note the Chamber's Food Industry Council launched a campaign to fight hunger Fight Hunger is a global initiative, based in Rome, Italy [1], calling for the end of child hunger by 2015 [2]. It is organised by the World Food Programme and its partners, and comprises different activities throughout the year. throughout the Detroit metropolitan area. In 1977 this effort led to the formation of Gleaners Community Food Bank, yet another enduring legacy of the Chamber's advocacy and activism in the community it served. The Chamber's Diamond Jubilee Noun 1. diamond jubilee - an anniversary celebrating the passage of 60 years jubilee - a special anniversary (or the celebration of it) marked the end of an era with the retirement of Dwight Havens after 12 years in the top post. On July 1, 1978, Frank E. Smith, CCE CCE Cornell Cooperative Extension CCE Corporate and Continuing Education CCE Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. CCE Commission de Coopération Environnementale CCE Centre for Continuing Education CCE College of Continuing Education CCE Certified Computer Examiner , executive vice president of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce since 1969, became president of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce, a post he would hold with distinction for the next 16 years. An innovative and charismatic leader, one of Smith's most notable and lasting achievements was inaugurating the Chamber's prestigious Leadership Detroit program in 1979. More than 1,300 regional leaders have graduated from this program over the years, enriching the region for generations to come. In 1981 Smith launched the first Mackinac Conference--successor to the annual cruises (see page 90). This new format gave Chamber members and business leaders an unparalleled opportunity to talk face-to-face with state lawmakers about critical government issues. As the 1980s progressed, the conference grew in stature, achieving "sold out" status for the first time in 1984, and remaining so to this day. The Chamber also stepped up its business advocacy programs on a number of fronts during this period, solidifying its reputation as the region's leading organization for business, and witnessed another milestone in 1982 when Beverly Beltaire, president of PR Associates Inc., was elected the first female chairman. With an increasingly diverse leadership, the Chamber was primed for success in the emerging Information Age. Madam Chairman Beverly Beltaire, president of PR Associates Inc., became the first female chairman in the Chamber's history when she was elected to the post for the 1982-83 program year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three Captains Leading the Chamber's Diamond Jubilee Cruise in 1978 were (I-r) cruise admiral John McCabe John McCabe may refer to:
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GREATER DETROIT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 1977-78 ANNUAL REPORT As we embark on our Diamond Jubilee ... The 1977-78 annual report celebrated the Chamber's 75th anniversary. The publication noted that the Chamber "devotes itself to the advancement of business and industry by aiding in the economic development of Detroit and its surrounding areas (while) at the same time creating and retaining jobs." Members of Leadership Detroit's second class celebrated their graduation at a 1981 dinner dance. Pictured are (I-r) James Motschall Jr., Douglas Busbey, Richard Semack and Gail Brooks. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] High-Tech Business The Chamber's 1982 annual meeting took on a high-tech tone with a demonstration of BizNet, the satellite-transmitted, business-oriented television programming offered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest not-for-profit federation of businesses, representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations in the United States. As of 2003, the chamber was comprised of 3000 state and local chambers and 830 business associations. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Real Troupers The cast of "My Detroit--Welcome To It," the Chamber's live 30-minute musical revue, poses with a traveling van donated by Chrysler Corp. in 1978. The upbeat revue was played for convention bureau guests, benefit dinners, fund-raisers, civic occasions, shopping mall events, private parties, conventions, marketing meetings and as entertainment for Tigers and Lions fans. It ultimately became the basis of an educational package offered to Detroit-area schools. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Enlightening Experience Detroit Edison Detroit Edison, founded in 1903, is an investor-owned electric utility which serves most of Southeast Michigan. Its parent company, DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), provides energy services to a variety of clients beyond Detroit Edison's service area. Co. President John Hamann (right) presented Dwight Havens with a dozen light bulbs to mark Havens' retirement after 12 years as president of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce. Havens was both roasted and honored at his retirement banquet in 1978. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Million Pounds of Food The Chamber's Feed the Hungry program mustered its millionth pound of food in 1982, hitting its goal with the donation of a ton of hot dogs. Don Gundle (The Pfeister Co.), president of the Chamber's Food Industry Council, holds the symbolic millionth-pound package of food at a news conference. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Chamber's annual PRIDE clean-up program won the top award from keep America Beautiful Inc. in 1974. Holding the trophy are (I-r) James E. Glynn of National Bank of Detroit The National Bank of Detroit (NBD) was a bank that operated mostly in the Midwestern United States.It was co-founded by Ben Young, the brother of famed fly rod builder Paul H. Young; Ben was President and Vice President of the bank in the 1930's -1940's. , PRIDE community representative Lois Williams and Chamber President Dwight Havens. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the News Robert E. McCabe (1), president of Detroit Renaissance Inc. and Chamber President Dwight Havens review the results of the 1976 Detroit River Detroit River River, southeastern Michigan, U.S. Forming part of the boundary between Michigan and Ontario, Can., it connects Lake St. Clair with Lake Erie. It flows south for 32 mi (51 km) past Detroit and Windsor, Ont., where a bridge and tunnel connect the two cities. Invitational Fishing Tournament (DRIFT), which was funded by the two organizations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Tenth Anniversary Cruise Committee posed for this formal photograph in 1913. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 1916 cruise committee gathered at the main entrance of the Detroit Board of Commerce building on West Lafayette West Lafayette, city (1990 pop. 25,907), Tippecanoe co., W Ind., a suburb of Lafayette, on the Wabash River; inc. 1924. A primarily residential city, it is the seat of Purdue Univ. . There would be no cruise the following year due to the war. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 58th annual cruise included a stopover at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island Mackinac Island Island in the Straits of Mackinac, southeastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, U.S. It is 3 mi (5 km) long. It was an ancient Indian burial ground called Michilimackinac when the British built a fort there in 1780. After the U.S. , where the annual Leadership Policy Conference is now held. W. Stewart Woodfill (center), the hotel's major domo, entertained the Board committee in this photo from 1961. Cruise Admiral Ray Whyte is wearing the hat. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RELATED ARTICLE: Time Line: 1974-1983 1974: Watergate scandal topples Nixon presidency 1975: U.S. forces pull out of Vietnam 1976: U.S. celebrates bicentennial bi·cen·ten·ni·al adj. 1. Happening once every 200 years. 2. Lasting for 200 years. 3. Relating to a 200th anniversary. n. A 200th anniversary or its celebration. Also called bicentenary. 1977: Elvis Presley dies 1978: Cardinal Wojtyla becomes Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan Paweł II) born Karol Józef Wojtyła 1979: Hostages seized at U.S. Embassy in Tehran 1980: Reagan elected 40th president 1981: Iran releases 52 American hostages 1982: Government orders AT&T breakup 1983: U.S. invades Grenada RELATED ARTICLE: All Aboard! The annual Detroit Board of Commerce cruise, which began in 1904 as a first anniversary celebration, provided members an excellent opportunity for an informal exchange of ideas onboard between the leaders of the business community and public officials. Some said the Michigan Legislature came to a virtual standstill during this time, since so many movers and shakers were on the cruise. The annual cruises also served as a goodwill tool between the various chambers of commerce in the Great Lakes port cities the Detroit cruisers visited. The 1911 cruise was typical. With about 500 aboard, the City of Cleveland sailed Lake Superior, stopping at the Upper Peninsula ports of Houghton, Marquette and Hancock. In each city, the red carpet was rolled out for the important visitors from the state's largest city. Although serious business was transacted on the cruises, there was a decidedly lighthearted atmosphere. A special "Yellow Pages" for the 1963 cruise included this jocular joc·u·lar adj. 1. Characterized by joking. 2. Given to joking. [Latin iocul listing under the heading Bird Proofing: "Has worked fine so far on albatrosses. Just watch out for those pink elephants." As the years went by, the cruises maintained their appeal for members, but the winds of change were blowing. With the demise of Great Lakes vessels, the cruises moved to the oceans. Soon, it became ever more difficult to secure suitable ships for the cruise. Rising fuel costs, changes in lobbying laws and an increasingly anachronistic a·nach·ro·nism n. 1. The representation of someone as existing or something as happening in other than chronological, proper, or historical order. 2. "good old boy" atmosphere also took their toll on the cruise's viability and public image. On April 26, 1980, with approximately 400 onboard, the German vessel M.S. Caribe set sail from Miami, cruising to Freeport, Bahamas, and then to Halifax, Nova Scotia For other uses, see Halifax. Halifax, Nova Scotia may refer to any of the following:
Upon returning to Detroit, Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce President Frank Smith sat down with his chairman, Chuck Muer, and declared, "I've had it!" Muer agreed wholeheartedly whole·heart·ed adj. Marked by unconditional commitment, unstinting devotion, or unreserved enthusiasm: wholehearted approval. whole . In 1981, the cruise moved to dry land when the first Mackinac Conference was held at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Now known as the Leadership Policy Conference, it is widely regarded as the premier event of its kind in the United States. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion