The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce was founded on December 12, 1878, “for the purpose of fostering, promoting and improving trade, commerce, manufacturing, industrial, rail and general interests of the City.”
Community Involvement
Over the years, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and its members have been leaders, building the economy of Lawrence and improving its quality of life. During the Depression, for example, the Chamber initiated a program that paid men who had lost their jobs $2 per day in Chamber script to work on city improvement tasks. The script was redeemable for food, fuel and clothing at Lawrence merchants.
The Chamber also aided victims of the 1951 flood, providing information to evacuees and recruiting Lawrence businessman J.L. “Tommy” Constant to assist in clean-up efforts. After the flood, the Chamber successfully lobbied to obtain the present levee system and Clinton Reservoir.
After a turbulent period of racial and political unrest in Lawrence, the Chamber secured a grant from the Kansas Police Enforcement Act to provide the Menninger Police/Community Relations Program, a program designed to facilitate understanding among diverse groups—politicians, KU, law enforcement, businessmen, blacks, whites, grassroots and student activists, pacifists and more. Frequent discussion sessions were held at the Chamber offices.
Making Way for Growth
The Chamber also has partnered with a variety of public and private entities in order to bring business to Lawrence, including helping with the creation of the city’s industrial parks. The Santa Fe and East Hills industrial parks and the Oread West Research Park are the result of the Chamber’s proactive plan to recruit companies by providing land suitable for building and, in some cases, structures ready for lease or purchase.
The Chamber strives to improve transportation to Lawrence, and was instrumental in encouraging the city to invest in a new airport terminal at Lawrence Municipal Airport, which has been in operation since 1929. The new terminal opened in 1987. Now the Chamber is encouraging the completion of the K-10 highway extension south of Lawrence, which would alleviate traffic flow on 23rd and Iowa streets particularly during rush hour.
Looking to the Future
The Chamber continues to work for the Lawrence business community, and is looking forward to developing Lawrence’s presence as a hub for bioscience research. The Chamber belongs to the Lawrence Douglas County Bioscience Authority, a partnership among the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, the Chamber, the University of Kansas and the Lawrence Regional Technology Center, is dedicated to developing a thriving life sciences industry to strengthen and diversify the local economy.
Named in 2010 as the No. 4 small metro American city for military retirees, Lawrence continues to gain reputation as a premier retirement community in the Midwest, and the Chamber strives to continue this trend.
The result of this hard work is a beautiful city of more than 92,000 residents that boasts a growing economy and outstanding educational and cultural amenities.