California Chamber of Commerce

The California Chamber of Commerce began as the California State Board of Trade which incorporated in 1890. The primary goal of the organization during these early years was to encourage immigration to California by publishing descriptive information on the growth and products of the state. In 1910 the Board merged with the Manufacturers' and Producers' Association of California and the California Promotion Committee to form the California Development Board. The new Board sought to combine the variant interests of its parent organizations, continuing to promote the state through dissemination of information about its products and economic opportunities.

As the California business climate continued to expand, the Board merged with the California Industries Association in 1921 to become the California Development Association. By September 1929, when the organization incorporated as the California State Chamber of Commerce, its focus had grown to encompass all aspects of California's broad and expansive economy. Today, operating under the shorter form of the name adopted in 1972, the California Chamber of Commerce continues programs and services to address the diverse interests of its members from business, industry, agriculture and high technology.