Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America

 

The Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America was an organization member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Untied States.  The association was incorporated in 1919 under the laws of the State of New York.  It maintained its central office in New York City as a research and advisory bureau for service as a trade association, for aerial defense, and for the development s of commercial markets.   It was created in cooperation with the Federal Government departments to promote the speeding up of the mail, the use of aircraft as peace vehicles, their employment in surveys, crop protection and forest patrol work, as agents of conservation and reclamation measures and for special transportation and coast guard work.

The ACCA was founded with a charter membership of 100 men representing all areas of aviation research, development and aircraft manufacturing companies in the United States.  Early members included such aviation pioneers as Orville Wright and Glen H. Curtiss, as well as Grover Loening, Sherman Fairchild, Frederick Rentschler president of Wright Aero Corp, Frank Russell president of Curtiss, Lawrence Sperry, Charles L. Lawrence (Wright radial engine designer), Chance Vaught; and many others.

The Chamber was the focus of efforts to develop a national aviation policy and by 1926 national legislation was passed requiring the Deptartment of Commerce to develop laws, standards, and licensing for aviation. The Civil Aeronautics Board was established to promote aviation, and military aviation was expanded in no small part because of the work of the members of the ACCA.

The ACCA was active in all aspects of aviation promotion and development up to and through the Second World War.  Following the war, the association was reorganized to concentrate on the industry's trade and commercial interests.  Its name was appropriately changed to, "Aircraft Industries Association of America, Inc." and later, in 1959, to "Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc." to recognize an evolving industry eager to embrace the new frontier of space.

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Of particular interest, was the orgainization's publications -- especially the annual Aircraft Yearbook.  This comprehensive, fact-filled series was begun in 1919 and continued well into the 1950s.  This publication provides a wealth of information about all aspects of aviation in the golden age.  Each volume covered the major developments, events, and industry statistics for the publishing year. 

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Program booklet from the dinner given by the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America in honor of Amelia Earhart's flight.  The dinner was held in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. June 20,1932.

 

Banquet in Honor of Charles Lindbergh, Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America, Inc., Waldorf-Astoria, New York. June 16, 1927. Drucker & Balters, New York.

 

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