THE MAGICIANS OF MAIN STREET

Mead, in his debut, asserts that America’s rise to economic supremacy is due in part to the work of local chambers of commerce.

Although people often associate chambers of commerce with ribbon-cuttings and trade shows, their impact on the country’s overall growth has been staggering. The Transcontinental Railroad, the Hoover Dam, Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic, and innumerable roads, bridges and tourist attractions all owe something to the efforts of chamber members. Mead, who serves as the senior vice president of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, traces the evolution of these ambitious business organizations in this book, which is likely the most comprehensive history of the subject. As he notes, chambers operate at the intersection of business and politics, plying two great levers of power: persuasion and money. By lobbying governments and funding projects, they’ve played a significant, though seldom noticed, role in America’s development. This far-ranging, extensively researched book highlights notable chamber exploits from before the Revolutionary War to the post–World War II era. From Hollywood’s silver screen to the New York City subway system, the organizations have acted as a sort of midwife to progress. Their influence can be measured by whom they counted as friends and enemies; whether it was Daniel Webster arguing for free trade, Franklin Roosevelt stumping for the New Deal or Sheriff Seth Bullock aiming to clean up a lawless Deadwood, many historical figures felt the chambers’ pull. Overall, the book casts a positive light on chamber work, as their mission gradually shifted from being purely “business watchdogs” to community benefactors seeking to improve education, law enforcement and public health. Mead does discuss less-flattering incidents, however, such as the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce’s call to round up ethnic Japanese after Pearl Harbor. The book’s style falls somewhere between academic prose and service journalism and deserves high marks for its clarity and structure. Its comprehensiveness, however, comes close to overkill. That said, readers will gain an appreciation for the tremendous scope of the chamber movement from the book’s well-crafted introduction alone.

A sweeping chronicle of America’s tireless, though often forgotten, community advocates.