DUBUQUE INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION

DUBUQUE INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION. On November 9, 1909 a public meeting was held at the DUBUQUE CLUB for the formation of an association having as its purpose the creation of a "Greater Dubuque." Dorrance Dixon MYERS was elected chairman of the GREATER DUBUQUE ASSOCIATION and W.M. Kretschmer was chosen secretary. The chairman was authorized to appoint a committee of five to write articles of guidance and to act as a committee to nominate and present the names of fifteen men to make up a board. D. D. Myers was chosen chairman of the Committee of Five which included Arbst F. FRUDDEN, Charles McLean, Richard Louis MURPHY and Judge D. J. Lenehan.

A second public meeting was held on November 18, 1909. The Committee of Five recommended that a corporation be organized with capital of at least $100,000. Recommended for membership on the board of the new organization were Lester C. BISSELL, James BEACH, H. H. Blish, J.T. Carr, Anthony F. HEEB, Thomas James MULGREW, Christian Anton VOELKER, D. D. Myers, John J. ROSHEK, Titus E. RHOMBERG, George McLean, Peter KIENE, William LAWTHER, Jr. and Frank J. PIEKENBROCK.

At the November 28, 1909 meeting the Committee of 15 it decided to name the new organization the "Dubuque Industrial Corporation" and an authorized capitalization was placed at $150,000 of which $100,000 had to be subscribed before the corporation was authorized to begin business. The incorporation and issuance of stock was made a project of a committee of three--L. C. Bissell, James Beach, and George McLean. It was also decided that in addition to the fifteen directors of the corporation an advisory committee of not less than fifty members be selected by the directors and that an address to the public announcing the goals and hopes of the organization in addition to the selling stock should be made. The board of fifteen was divided into three committees of five members to sell stock. For the purposes of the sale, the city was divided into three districts.

On January 11, 1910 a meeting of the directors was held. The secretary was directed to send a letter to various groups in the city asking them to act as members of the advisory committee. There were sixty-five responses.

On January 9, 1911 the Board of Directors reported that over $100,000 of stock in the Dubuque Industrial Corporation had been sold and that the corporation was ready to elect permanent officers. L. C. Bissell was elected president; C.A. Voelker was elected vice-president, D.D. Myers became the first treasurer; and W.M. Kretschmer was chosen secretary.

Work of the Industrial Corporation was carried out through standing committees. These acted, however, only in an advisory capacity. Propositions went to the office of the corporation. The president of the corporation passed the proposition along to the proper committee. The committee obtained all the information possible and made a recommendation on the proposition to the board of directors along with passing along all the information. The board of directors considered the information again along with the recommendation and then took a definite action. Occasionally a matter would be important enough for the consideration of the entire corporation, but the committee system was designed to make this unlikely. (1)

This organization, known locally as "The Booster Club," changed its name to the DUBUQUE COMMERCIAL CLUB and later to the DUBUQUE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

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Source:

"Field Thoroughly Covered," Telegraph Herald, Mar. 3, 1912