New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated

The New York World's Fair of 1939 and 1940, was held in Flushing Meadows in the Borough of Queens. The non-profit Fair corporation was formed in 1935 under the guidance of business and civic leaders, and financed through federal, state, municipal and private funds. The Fair commemorated the 150th anniversary of Washington's inauguration in New York City and took "Building the World of Tomorrow" as its central theme. Participants included close to 60 nations, 33 states and U.S. territories, and over a thousand exhibitors, among them some of the largest corporations in the United States. The New York World's Fair of 1939 and 1940, held in Flushing Meadows in the Borough of Queens, is widely regarded as the most spectacular exposition ever held in the United States. By every measurement - size, cost, attendance, publicity, foreign government participation, number of exhibitors - it outranked every previous international fair. With 45 million visitors during its two seasons, the Fair was the best-attended event of the first half of the 20th century. Participation was unprecedented with close to 60 foreign nations, 33 states and U.S. territories, and over a thousand exhibitors, among them some of the largest corporations in the United States. A massive promotional campaign was waged across the country and around the world, with hundreds of programs and events attracting widespread media coverage. New York had not hosted a world's fair since the Crystal Palace exhibition of 1853 and the New York World's Fair planners were committed, according to one internal report, "to the building of the greatest international exposition in history."

The success of Chicago's 1933 Century of Progress exposition persuaded many that a fair in New York would stimulate local trade and industry long dampened by the lingering effects of the Great Depression. In the summer of 1935, leaders of New York City's civic and business community formed a preliminary steering committee to explore the possibility of mounting a world's fair in New York. While such a venture would be expensive (the overall cost would ultimately climb to over $155 million), the expectation was that visitors to a fair would send billions of dollars flowing through the New York City economy. As a result of the committee's deliberations, a proposal was formally announced and received an enthusiastic reception from public and commercial interests. In October 1935, the New York World's Fair 1939 Incorporated, a non-profit membership corporation, was formed. It included over one hundred charter members drawn from the leaders of New York's business, financial, artistic, and professional communities. Principal officers of the Corporation included Grover A. Whalen (President), Bayard F. Pope (Treasurer), George McAneny (Chairman of the Board), Percy S. Straus (Chairman of the Committee on Architecture and Physical Planning), Harvey D. Gibson (Chairman of the Finance Committee), Howard A. Flanigan (Assistant to the President and later Executive Vice President), W. Earle Andrews (General Manager), and John P. Hogan (Chief Engineer).

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