Chamber Information
Although there is archaeological evidence that some sort of business trade associations existed in Mesopotamia, the first recognized Chamber of Commerce was established in France in 1599. It is still in existence today and is known as the Chambre’de Commerce. The second Chamber was established nearly 100 years later on the English Channel Island of St. Helier off the Jersey coast.
The first American Chamber of Commerce was established in 1770 in New York City. It later moved to Albany and is known today as the Empire State Chamber of Commerce. The first local Chamber was established in 1773 in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce traces its history back to its earliest records, dating to 1898, where we find the Hampton Board of Trade and The Newport News Business Men’s Association. In July of 1903, the Chamber of Commerce of Newport News was formed. In 1904, the Hampton Chamber of Commerce was established.
In April of 1935, under the leadership of Lloyd Noland, Sr., the business organizations, under the various names of Newport News, Hampton, Phoebus, Warwick, Williamsburg, James City County, York County and Elizabeth City County, consolidated to form the Virginia Peninsula Association of Commerce. In December of 1958, the name changed to the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, and in September of 1984, the name changed to the current name, (The) Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. The records indicated the following list of volunteer leaders through the years.
Newport News Business Men’s Association
1898-1900 — William B. Vest
1901 — J. Addison Willett, Jr.
1902 — William E. Barret
Hampton Business Men’s Association
1898-1899 — William E. Lawson
1900-1904 — William J.A. Cumming
Newport News Chamber of Commerce
1903-1904 — James L. Patton
1905 — Albert L. Powell
1906 — Henry B. Holmes
1907 — Walter B. Livezey
1908 — Clarence P. Jones, M.D.
1909 — Walter S. Copeland
1910 — W. Lee Powell
1911 — T. Otis Bland
1912 — William B. Colonna
1913-1914 — Matthew C. Armstrong
1915 — Bernard W. Crump
1916 — John I. Viney
1917-1919 — John N. Shannahan
1920 — Joseph A. Massie
1921 — Philip W. Hiden
1922 — Robert P. Holt
1923-1924 — Godfrey L. Smith
1925-1926 — Chester D. Porter
1927 — Abe Horowitz
1928 — Thomas J. Hundley
1929 — William B. Ferguson
1930 — Norman E. Drexler
1931 — Lewis T. Jester
1932-1934 — Eugene F. Dugger
Virginia Peninsula Association of Commerce
1935 — Lloyd U. Noland
1936 — Robert P. Wallace
1937 — Raymond B. Bottom
1938 — Harry A. Keitz
1939 — G. Franklin Lenz
1940 — Edward J. Robenson, Jr.
1941 — Charles A. Ferguson
1942 — Joe W. Wheeler
1943 — Alex M. Conner
1944-1946 — Charles K. Hutchens
1947 — David Dick
1948 — Ward R. Scull
1949 — S. Sydney Bortner
1950-1951 — Leslie R. O’Hara
1952 — Max Shapiro
1953-1954 — Frank A. Mitchell
1955 — George T. Abernathy
1956-1957 — W. Ward Anderson
Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
1958-1959 — Willits H. Bowditch, Sr.
1960-1961 — William R. Van Buren, Jr.
1962-1963 — Lewis A. McMurran, Jr.
1964-1965 — Robert S. Hornsby
1966 — William W. Wyatt
1967 — George H. Hill
1968 — Rodgers A. Smith
1969 — Robert J. Curtin
1970 — Charles E. Hastings
1971 — Troy L. Davis
1972 — Gordon B. Cutler
1973 — Richard Newman
1974-1975 — Prentis Smiley, Jr.
1976-1977 — Karl F. Lanier
1978-1979 — Alden A. West
1980-1981 — Sylvia Berry
1982 — Edward Harris
1982 — Erwin B. Drucker
1983 — Gordon L. Gentry, Jr.
1984 — Frank R. Bloxom, Jr.
1985 — Kenneth F. Palmer
1986 — Robert B. Terrell
1987 — Gerald R. Brink
1988 — W. Lee Barnes
1989 — William M. Grace
1990 — Alan Witt
1991 — L.E. Queen
1992 — Robert Kenerley
1993 — Conway H. Sheild, III
1994 — S. Michael Evans
1995 — C. Wayne Williamson
1996 — Howard B. Waters
1997 — Arthur J. Kamp
1998 — Alfred J. Shrieves
1999 — Anna V.B. McNider
2000 — Svein J. Lassen
2001 — Charles G. Armfield
2002 — Paul W. Garman
2003-2004 — Frederick N. Elofson
2005-2006 — Joseph R. Witt
2007 — D. Guy Manchester
2008 — Chuck Mitchell
2009 — Joycelyn Spight-Thrower
The Chamber’s Vision
The Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary membership business association that believes that more can be accomplished on behalf of business and the community by banding together. The Chamber is a not-for-profit, non-partisan and non- sectarian organization operating on behalf of all its members for the good of the whole.
Regionalism – The Chamber believes that more can be accomplished effectively and efficiently through regional action or regional cooperation. This includes transportation funding and planning, tourism and industrial marketing, education, skilled workforce development, waste disposal and recycling, as well as other basic government services.
Small Business – Small businesses employ half of the country’s workforce, create two of every three new jobs and generate a majority of American innovations. The Chamber’s role is to increase the number of small business successes. Through professional development, affordable training, seminars and networking opportunities, the Chamber provides a climate for the expansion and success of small businesses through its Business Center and SCORE program.
The Environment – The Chamber believes in both economic growth and environmental protection. This is not a contradiction. Economic growth is a necessity to ensure both job growth and tax base expansion. Protection of the unique environment of this area is also essential to assure quality of life. However, both objectives can be achieved with a proper, balanced approach. The Coalition for Environmental and Economic Balance, an affiliate of the Chamber, is ensuring this balanced approach is achieved through legislation and regulations, lobbying for a balanced point of view, public education and networking with similar coalitions on the East Coast.
Business Advocate – First and foremost, the Chamber is the champion of the free enterprise economic system and an advocate of the business point of view. Through its Board of Directors, programs, committees and task forces, the Virginia Peninsula Chamber represents the collective voice of business through its membership. All its efforts, as represented by its annual Plan of Business, are designed to “advocate and support the economic and business interests of the Virginia Peninsula and the Region.”
Skilled Workforce Development – Nearly one million youth drop out of school each year. Seven of 10 high school students can’t write a basic letter seeking employment. The future prosperity of the Peninsula will depend on the availability of a skilled, qualified workforce. The Chamber membership has identified a skilled workforce as the primary concern of business.
Military Affairs – A Chamber study conducted recently revealed that 41.2 percent of the total Peninsula payroll is directly dependent on Department of Defense spending. There is virtually no business left untouched by the military presence. The Chamber’s Military Affairs Council is a business advocate of the military and recognizes the significance of a military scale down over the next few years. The Council is working towards integrating this highly skilled workforce into the local community with two Armed Forces Employment Fairs (spring and fall), both conduits for exiting the military into the civilian business world and with relocation/transition assistance in the form of seminars.e
Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
Distinguished Citizen Award Recipients
Franklin O. Blechman — 1981
Lewis A. McMurran, Jr. — 1982
Caleb West — 1983
Herbert Kelly — 1984
Jean B. and E.E. Falk — 1985
Newport News Shipbuilding — 1986
Thomas P. Chisman — 1987
Richard M. Bagley, Sr. — 1988
Honorable Thomas Downing — 1989
Ann Kilgore — 1990
David Peebles — 1991
Edwin Joseph — 1992
Willits and Marian H. Bowditch — 1993
Walter S. Segaloff — 1994
Honorable Herbert H. Bateman — 1995
Dr. McKinley Lenard Price — 1996
The Mayors & Chairs of the Greater Virginia Peninsula — 1997
Thomas N. and Ann N. Hunnicutt — 1998
Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. — 1999
Conway H. Sheild, III — 2000
Gordon L. Gentry, Jr. — 2001
Alan A. Diamonstein — 2002
Dois I. Rosser, Jr. — 2003
Hunter B. Andrews — 2004
Dr. William R. Harvey — 2005
William M. Grace — 2006
The Late Honorable Congresswoman Joann S. Davis & The Honorable Congressman Robert (Bobby) C. Scott — 2007
Paul S. Trible, Jr. — 2008
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