History of the Temple Chamber
By the early 19th century, Chambers of Commerce, then known as Boards of Trade or Commercial Clubs, emerged across major U.S. cities as engines for economic progress. Their purpose was straightforward yet ambitious: gather economic data, influence legislation, support local government, resolve commercial disputes, and promote regional prosperity.
Temple joined this movement on April 30, 1907, when a crowd gathered at the Elks Club to establish a citywide commercial club. Local merchant Andrew Jackson Jarrell was elected its first president. From the start, the organization got to work—paving muddy downtown sidewalks, promoting local shopping, improving transportation access, and producing early marketing materials for the growing city. Its efforts helped secure the Blackland Experiment Station, which in turn attracted new enterprises to Temple and Bell County.
In 1912, the Temple Commercial Club merged with the Young Men’s Business Club to form the Temple Chamber of Commerce. Over the decades that followed, the Chamber helped position Temple as a regional leader. It supported community fundraising efforts, provided military support during both world wars, and championed transformative projects including the founding of Temple Junior College, the negotiation and siting of Camp Hood (now Fort Hood), the development of McCloskey General Hospital (now the Olin E. Teague Veterans Center), Lake Belton, and major transportation investments such as Interstate 35. These initiatives fueled Temple’s industrial, medical, and economic growth.
Founded in 1907 and continually evolving, the Temple Chamber of Commerce has played a pivotal role in shaping Temple’s trajectory for more than a century. From advocating for Fort Hood and Lake Belton to mobilizing the #TempleStrong network during the COVID-19 pandemic, Winter Storm Uri, and the 2024 tornado, the Chamber has remained a steady source of leadership and action in moments that matter.
Today, the Temple Chamber continues to guide progress with vision and purpose. As a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization funded through Membership Investment and non-dues revenue, our work is anchored in a governance model built on four Pillars of Excellence that define how we serve the business community: Business & Community Development; Governmental Affairs; Membership Services; and Organizational Improvement.
For more than 118 years, the Chamber’s role has endured, to lead, to advocate, and to strengthen the economic vitality of Temple and Central Texas.
