The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been in existence since 1912. President William Howard Taft first brought the concept for an organization that would represent the concerns of U.S. businesses in an address before Congress in December of 1911.
In Texas, there are more than 600 local chambers of commerce, distinguishing themselves as the Voice of Business in the state. The continued work of chambers of commerce benefits our state through economic development and community development programs. The business community, represented through the local chambers of commerce, has been a driving force in fostering enhanced educational opportunities, infrastructure improvements, leadership development, the creation of jobs, and a positive vision of the future.
The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the first Hispanic Chamber in the United States, originally chartered as the Mexican Chamber of Commerce in 1929. Dallas and Corpus Christi soon followed San Antonio.
The Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC), founded in 1975, was originally composed of fewer than 20 courageous Hispanic small-business owners interested in realizing greater success for themselves and all Hispanic entrepreneurs. The organization gained momentum and steadily grew and developed its focus of promoting business leadership, creating economic opportunities, and providing legislative and business advocacy for the Hispanic business community in Texas.
The first annual TAMACC convention started August 6, 1976, in Irving, Texas. At the time of the convention, TAMACC had ten member chambers: Austin Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce, Galveston Comerciantes Unidos, Fort Worth Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce, Lubbock Comerciantes Organizados Mexico-Americanos, Odessa Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce, Plainview Cámara De Commercio Mexico-Americana, San Antonio Mexican Chamber of Commerce, Waco Cen-Tex Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce, and Weslaco Northside Merchants Association.
In 1978, Nelson Rodriguez, who was the incoming President of TAMACC, and other individuals from New Mexico, California, and Arizona began a steering committee to organize the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
In July 1979, during the TAMACC convention in Lubbock, Texas, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce joined the members of TAMACC and had their own annual meeting and convention. They held their first election of officers. The states present were Texas, New York, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Washington D.C. Nelson Rodriguez, past President of TAMACC, was elected the first President of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Today, there are about 35 Hispanic chambers of commerce in Texas and about 600 across the nation. These chambers represent the Hispanic business community as an advocate and resource to strengthen local businesses of all sizes.
