Chamber of Commerce and Merchants’ Association It was in December 1962that the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants Association agreed to merge together to make a “stronger central organization working for the people of Greenville.” Each group has a long history of starts and stops, controversies and continual service to the Greenville community. Over their history it seems when one entity disbanded, the other would be formed again to take its place. Let me give you a small history of each of these groups. Chamber of Commerce The first Chamber of Commerce was formed at a meeting at the Court House on the evening of May 20, 1898. Twenty four members were enrolled, suitable by-laws were adopted and the organization elected the following officers: J. B. Cherry, President; H. A. White, Vice-Pres.; Larry I. Moore, Sect.; and J. L. Little, Treasurer. This organization only lasted a few years and died a natural death from doing nothing. It was again revived on Sept. 27, 1906 at a meeting at the Mayor’s Office. Again by-laws were adopted and the organization elected officers: J. L. Wooten, President; S. T. White, Vice-Pres.; C. E. Bradley, Sect.; and J. L. Little, Treasurer. On Nov. 12 a Board of Directors were elected being: E. G. Flanagan, A. B. Ellington, H. S. Carr, J. S. Smith, D. J. Whichard and F. M. Wooten. This Chamber worked on the town loan, paving Evans Street and Dickinson Avenue, expanding electricity, dredging the Tar River and developing the tobacco and cotton markets. In Oct. 1907 the following new Chamber officers were elected: D. J. Whichard, President; H.W. Whedbee, Vice-Pres.; C. E. Bradley, Sect.; and J. L. Little, Treasurer. The Executive Committee was made up of D. L. James, F. M. Wooten and L. C. Arthur. The new officers in 1908 included: F. M. Wooten, President; J. J. Laughinghouse, Vice-Pres.; and J. L. Little, Treasurer. The Secretary office was left open for several years. In May 1910, F. M. Wooten resigned as president of the Chamber of Commerce and H. A. White was unanimously chosen. Eventually this Chamber died and by 1917 the local newspaper complained about the numerous failed attempts to organize a business men’s organization in Greenville and how Greenville was missing out on business enterprises by the lack of a Chamber of Commerce. By 1918, another Chamber of Commerce had formed with H. A. White as president. In Sept. 1919, H. A. White, president of the Chamber invited the Merchant’s Association to share office space in the Chamber of Commerce rooms free of charge. Miss Maud Lee, who had served as secretary of the Merchant’s Association for a year, resigned to become the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. R. E. Ranson was elected assistant secretary, having been secretary of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce before coming to Greenville. This Chamber appears to have ended by 1921. In June 1921, The Pitt County Chamber of Commerce was formed. This Chamber of Commerce created Chamber groups in each Pitt County community. At a meeting in the Court House on June 21, 1921, Directors were elected for one and two year terms. The first Directors where: Dr. W. W. Dawson, Grifton; Dr. C. J. Ellen, Greenville; J. L. Perkins, Stokes; J. R. Turnage, Ayden; H. A. White, Greenville; J. E. Winslow, Greenville; W. L. Best, Greenville; W. H. Dail, Jr., Greenville, E. G. Flanagan, Greenville; J. C. Galloway, Grimesland; James L. Little, Greenville; and H. V. Staton, Bethel. At another meeting a few nights later the Directors were introduced to the members and they each had to give a brief speech on “My Idea of a Worth While Pitt County Chamber of Commerce.” On April 1, 1924 the Greenville Chamber of Commerce was organized again under the guidance of W. H. Dail, Jr. He got a committee together that set a goal of 300 members before the organization would form. Bylaws and a Constitution were adopted and according to their Constitution, “the object of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce shall be to promote the commercial, industrial, civic, social and agricultural welfare of Greenville and Pitt County.” The first officers were: W. H. Dail, Jr., Pres.; O. L. Joyner, Vice-Pres.; and Directors: J. R. Hall, J. H. Blount, J. E. Winslow, C. W. Shuff, G. V. Smith, R. M. Garrett, Robert H. Wright, Dr. K. B. Pace, and J. B. James. This Chamber too eventually ended. On Dec. 13, 1932, a group of businessmen again organized the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. Officers elected were: L. A. Stroud, President; J. J. White, First Vice-Pres.; J. B. Kittrell, Second Vice-Pres.; R. L. Powell, Sect.; and Directors: C. W. Howard, J. Howard McGinnis, Dr. J. B. Pace, Martin Swartz, J. Herbert Waldrop, C. P. Earhart, Dink James, G. B. Smith, J. E. Winslow, Z. V. Murphy and K. W. Cobb. This Chamber promoted retail shopping with “Dollar Days, Suburban Days, Profit Sharing Days, and Promotion Christmas Days, Window displays, parades, music, Spring and Fall openings and other attractions.” In Feb. 1939, the Junior Greenville Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) was organized with 34 young business and professional men of the city. The first officers were: Dave M. Mosier, Pres.; Badger Johnson, Vice-Pres.; Paul Gaskill, Sect.-Treas.; and Edmond Waldrop, national councilor. The Board of Directors was composed of Reynolds May, T. E. Wilson and Francis Worsley. The charter members were: Troy Burnette, J. O. Barbour, Albert Gaskins, Paul Gaskill, Harry Hagerty, A. C. Henry, Gene Horne, Badger Johnson, Reynolds May, Dave Mosier, Jack Powell, Russell Viverette, Edmond Waldrop, Howard Waldrop, Ed Whitehurst, T. E. Wilson, Francis Worsley, Louis Worsley, James Moye, Marshal Starkey, Bancroft Moseley, A. M. McCallum, William Norman, Arnold Barwick, George Wilkerson, Robert Grady, E. S. Flanagan, J. G. Proctor, Jr., W. L. Nesbit, Jr., Cam Fetner, Tyson Bilbro, W. C. Hollowell and J. B. Hawes. Merchants Association The first Retail Merchants’ Association in Greenville was realized on the evening of July 7, 1903 at a meeting at the Court House. Norman H. Johnson, of Burlington, NC, a lawyer and attorney general for the NC Grocers’ and General Merchants’ Association came to Greenville to organize the meeting and address the merchants here. At the conclusion of Mr. Johnson’s address the Pitt County Merchants Association was organized with the following officers: J. R. Moye, Pres.; H. L. Carr, Vice-Pres.; S. T. White, Second Vice-Pres.; W. A. Bowen, Sect.; Frank Wilson, Treas.; and Directors C. T. Munford, Luther Savage, J. N. Hart, J. G. Moye and B. J. Pully. This group appears to have lasted only a few years. On May 8, 1918, a group of Greenville businessmen met in the lobby of the Proctor Hotel and organized themselves into the Greenville Merchants’ Association. Members of the Wilson Merchants’ Association and J. Paul Leonard, secretary of the NC Merchants’ Association addressed the men. There were 28 charter members and the officers elected were N. O Warren as President and Frank Wilson as Vice President. Miss Maud Lee was named as secretary and her office was located in the National bank building. In Sept. 1919, the Chamber of Commerce invited the Merchant’s Association to share office space in the Chamber of Commerce rooms free of charge. Miss Maud Lee, who had served as secretary of the Merchant’s Association for a year, resigned to become the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. This Association fell apart due to the economic pressures of World War I. On July 2, 1925 the Greenville Merchants’ Association was reorganized with J. H. Blount, Pres.; Curtis Perkins, Vice-Pres.; C. B. Rowlette, Sect.; Frank Wilson, Treas.; and Directors J. N. Hart, W. H. Woolard, L. A. Stroud, and C. Heber Forbes. This association failed and on April 26, 1927, under the leadership of W. H. Woolard, J. J. White and C. Heber Forbes, the Greenville Merchants’ Association was incorporated. This Association created a credit bureau and every store patron was given a rating. They got street lights, Evans Street paved, Christmas decorations and established the city’s semi-annual Dollar Days event. In April 1929, the membership of the Greenville Merchants’ Association reached 100 and was one of the most active in the State. Eventually the Association’s work began to lag and it was kept alive only in combination with the Chamber of Commerce. In 1937 the Greenville Merchants’ Association was reorganized with 22 local businessmen and L. A. Stroud was elected president of the new group. By 1955, the Greenville Merchants’ Association had 233 Greenville members and 25 members from nearby towns. They expanded the Credit Bureau, saved businesses on advertising costs, expanded off-street parking, helped newcomers find housing, created the Newcomers Luncheon Club for women and annual Newcomers Party, organized the Greenville Credit Women’s Breakfast Club in 1949, and formed numerous special groups of merchants. Another group, the Greenville Business and Professional Women’s Club, was formed in 1938 with 20 charter members and Mrs. H. S. Ragsdale as president. They were responsible for reviving the Federal Art Gallery, promoting the Tobacco Festival and numerous other civic activities. To compliment the Jaycee’s Man of the Year, the BP & W Club named its first Women of the Year in 1948 giving the first award to Mrs. J. B. Spilman. Other recipients were Mrs. Ruth Garner (1949), Mrs. Ruel Tyson (1950), and Mrs. Chester Walsh (1951). _________________________________________________________________ Quick access to your favorite MSN content and Windows Live with Internet Explorer 8. http://ie8.msn.com/microsoft/internet-explorer-8/en-us/ie8.aspx?ocid=B037MSN55C0701A