The Civic Federation of Chicago held its first meeting at the Palmer House on February 15, 1894. This committee of leading citizens was spurred to action by negative domestic and international opinion of Chicago during the World's Fair of 1893. British journalist William T. Stead was so disturbed by the poverty, disease, decrepit infrastructure and political corruption of Chicago that he delivered and later published the famous speech, "If Christ Came to Chicago." The goal of the new Civic Federation, led by Lyman Gage, president of First National Bank of Chicago, was to make Chicago the cleanest, healthiest and most efficient city in America.
The Civic Federation of Chicago attacked government waste and corruption, vices such as gambling, sanitation, and unsafe food by issuing bulletins, reports, and lobbying politicians. The organization's Municipal Committee once cleaned Chicago's streets for six months to prove to the City that the work could be accomplished for a cost of $10.00 per mile as opposed to the then going rate of $18.00 per mile. Many of the Civic Federation's early philanthropic efforts were undertaken by committees that later became independent organizations. The Civic Federation of Chicago focused more on tax issues and problems of financial accountability and efficiency in government during the latter part of the twentieth century. The Civic Federation of Chicago exists today with three levels of membership: corporate, associate, and supporter. Corporate members provide most of the financial support for the group and wield the most power within its organizational structure.
The Civic Federation of Chicago Collection includes bulletins issued by the group from 1912 through January 1966. Some specialized reports about public services such as the Sanitary District of Chicago are held for the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s. A few articles, pamphlets, polemics, and memoranda are also included.
See the Civic Federation of Chicago's website at http://www.civicfed.org.
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| Box | Folder |
| 1 | 1. | Bulletins,
1912 - June 1918 |
| 2 | Bulletins,
July 1918 - March 1921 |
| 3 | Bulletins,
April 1921 - March 1924 |
| 4 | Bulletins,
May 1924 - April 1927 |
| 5 | Bulletins,
April 1927 - May 1929 |
| 6 | Bulletins,
July 1929 - May 1931 |
| 7 | Bulletins,
March 1932 - March 1934 |
| 8 | Bulletins,
May 1934 - June 1936 |
| 9 | Bulletins,
Oct. 1936 - April 1938 |
| 10 | Bulletins,
June 1938 - March 1941 |
| 11 | Bulletins,
March 1941 - Feb. 1943 |
| 12 | Bulletins,
April 1943 - May 1944 |
| 13 | Bulletins,
May 1944 - April 1945 |
| 14 | Bulletins,
May 1945 - Oct. 1946 |
| 15 | Bulletins,
Nov. 1946 - May 1947 |
| Box | Folder |
| 2 | 16 | Bulletins,
March 1947 - Jan. 1948 |
| 17 | Bulletins,
Jan. 1948 - Jan. 1949 |
| 18 | Bulletins,
Jan. 1949 - May 1949 |
| 19 | Bulletins,
June 1949 - Dec. 1949 |
| 20 | Bulletins,
Dec. 1949 - Oct. 1950 |
| 21 | Bulletins,
Oct. 1950 - Feb. 1951 |
| 22 | Bulletins,
Feb. 1951 - June 1951 |
| 23 | Bulletins,
July 1951 - Jan. 1952 |
| 24 | Bulletins,
March 1952 - Dec. 1952 |
| 25 | Bulletins,
Dec. 1952 - May 1953 |
| Box | Folder |
| 3 | 26 | Bulletins,
June 1953 - Oct. 1954 |
| 27 | Bulletins,
Oct. 1954 - Feb. 1955 |
| 28 | Bulletins,
Feb. 1955 - July 1955 |
| 29 | Bulletins,
Oct. 1955 - May 1956 |
| 30 | Bulletins,
June 1956 - Feb. 1957 |
| 31 | Bulletins,
March 1957 - May 1957 |
| 32 | Bulletins,
May 1957 - Dec. 1957 |
| 33 | Bulletins,
Jan. 1958 - June 1959 |
| 34 | Bulletins,
Dec. 1958 - June 1959 |
| Box | Folder |
| 4 | 35 | Bulletins,
Aug. 1959 - Feb. 1961 |
| 36 | Bulletins,
Feb. 1961 - Feb. 1962 |
| 37 | Bulletins,
Jan. 1962 - Jan. 1963 |
| 38 | Bulletins,
Jan. 1963 - Dec. 1963 |
| 39 | Bulletins,
Dec. 1963 - Nov. 1964 |
| 40 | Bulletins,
Nov. 1964 - March 1965 |
| 41 | Bulletins,
April 1965 - January 1966 |
| 42 | City of Chicago Budget Survey Committee.
Summary of Recommendations from a Report on the Regulatory Inspectional Services of the City of Chicago and a Plan to Simplify Procedures. Chicago: The Chicago Association of Commerce and The Civic Federation,
1945 |
| 43 | Governmental Research Association. How to Organize and Operate a Citizen Governmental Research Agency. New York: Governmental Research Association,
1961 |
| 44 | The Administrative Survey Commission.
Final Report (with preliminary report) of an Administrative Survey of the Sanitary District of Chicago. Chicago: The Commission,
1942 |
| Box | Folder |
| 5 | 45 | The Civic Federation.
Summary and Abstract of a Report on the Water Supply and Sewerage Systems of the City of Chicago with a Comparative Study of Certain other American Cities. Chicago: The Civic Federation,
1950-1952 |
| 46 | City of Chicago Budget Survey Committee.
A Report on the Regulatory Inspectional Services of the City of Chicago and a Plan to Simplify Procedures. Chicago: The Chicago Association of Commerce and the Civic Federation,
1945 |
| 47 | The Civic Federation.
An Analysis of the Salary Schedule applying to Firemen of the City of Chicago together with an Analysis of the Proposed Changes in the Work Schedule. Chicago: The Civic Federation,
1947 |
| 48 | The Civic Federation.
Statutory Provisions Relating to Purchasing in the Major Local Governments of Chicago. Chicago: The Civic Federation,
1948 |
| 49 | Committee on City Expenditures.
Proposals in the Business Methods of the City of Chicago, Summary Report,
1952 |
| 50 | The Civic Federation.
Salary Rate Structure of the Local Governments of Chicago. Chicago: The Civic Federation,
1946 |
| 51 | The Civic Federation.
A Report on Teachers' Salaries in Chicago. Chicago: The Civic Federation,
1946 |
| 52 | The Civic Federation.
A Report on the Water Supply and Sewerage Systems of the City of Chicago with a Comparative Study of Certain other American Cities. Chicago: The Civic Federation,
1950-1952 |
| 53 | Memorandum, article - corporate fund and taxation,
1961 |
| 54 | Memorandum,
1963 |
| 55 | A Case for more Private Enterprise in Public Service. Chicago: The Civic Federation,
1964 |
| 56 | Mr. Chicago Taxpayer! Do You Want to Hold Your Local Tax Bills Down? Here's How You Can.,
1954 |
| 57 | Dollars and Sense in Education - speech given by Roger A. Freeman, former Research Director, Education Committee, U.S. Commission on Intergovernmental Relations at Annual Luncheon, The Civic Federation, Chicago, Illinois,
October 31, 1956 |
| 58 | Newspaper article reprints,
1962-1965 |
| 59 | Pamphlet,
n.d. |
