Chamber History

Founded as The Business Men’s Club of San Antonio, with James L. Slaydon serving as the organization's inaugural chairman.

Founded the Fiesta Association – which is now known as the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. This organization manages, organizes, and runs the annual hugely popular cultural festival “Fiesta” each April.

The Chamber held 7,000-8,000 acres of land under option for Kelly Air Force Base; the Chamber assembled the land, leased it from the landowner, and sub-leased it to the government. The Chamber assembled 873 acres of land in the southeast corner of the city, near Bergs Mill, for Brooks Air Force Base.

Led efforts to locate Kelly Air Force Base and Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Developed and carried out a plan to purchase land for Randolph Air Force Base, now Joint Base Randolph.

Worked with officials of Trinity University and the University of San Antonio, which merged, resulting in the relocation of Trinity University from Waxahachie to San Antonio.

Organized the Farm and Ranch Committee, chaired by Joe Freeman, which planned and successfully developed the Freeman Coliseum complex.

Formed the South Texas Medical Foundation, which developed the South Texas Medical Center.

The Chamber’s Highway Committee developed a master highway plan for metropolitan San Antonio and Bexar County, and presented it to the Texas Highway Commission for approval as the basis of our local highway system.

The Farm and Ranch Committee directed the development of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition.

Organized and directed the Produce Terminal Market, the first major produce terminal in the United States built by private capital.

A Chamber committee was formed to investigate the feasibility of an international “HemisFair” in San Antonio. A Chamber committee began studies on a river development program which led to the Paseo del Rio project, leading to the development of the world-famous San Antonio River Walk.

Thirty Chamber members appeared before the State Coordinating Board in Dallas to lobby for a state-supported university, a college of dentistry, and a nursing school for location in San Antonio.

The Chamber funded a $25,000 feasibility study of HemisFair Plaza, which was the home of the 1968 HemisFair, and ultimately has become acres of green parkland in the center of downtown.

The Chamber raised $12,000 to help the city pay for an Air Transportation Study and $30,000 to help pass a $65 million bond issue for city roads.

The Chamber conducted a phone blitz and obtained commitments for 1,053 summer jobs for youths. The Chamber conducted a trade mission to Mexico City.

The Chamber conducted a study to have San Antonio designated a “Bicentennial City", authorized $31,000 to pay for a national marketing study to determine San Antonio’s image among U.S. industries, and $25,000 for an economic feasibility study on sports in San Antonio.

The Chamber sponsored the Mexican Trade Show for 250 Mexican firms showing 1,000 Mexican products and arranged for an Amtrak train trip to Mexico City to promote train travel from San Antonio.

The Chamber created the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.

The Chamber created the Leadership San Antonio program to provide leadership training to men and women from all walks of life in Bexar County.

The Chamber recommended naming the North Expressway the “McAllister Freeway.”

The Chamber supported the Federal Highway Administration and Texas Department of Highways & Public Transportation’s plans for IH-35 and IH-10 downtown improvements.

The Chamber urged the City of San Antonio and City Water Board to proceed with the development of the Applewhite Reservoir Project and sent a delegation to Zurich, Switzerland, to participate in the “Investing in America’s Cities” conference.

A Chamber delegation visited Toronto to promote San Antonio as an investment location and Portland, Oregon, to study their transit mall, foreign trade zone, light-rail system, and new bus fare collection system.

The Chamber endorsed an expansion of the Alamo College District’s boundaries to the city limits.

The Chamber led the defeat of the proposed spending cap, supported the passage of a $34 million justice center bond issue, and supported the creation of the Downtown Improvement District.

The Chamber created San Antonio Sports to develop and attract national amateur and professional sporting events to San Antonio such as Final Four tournaments, international competitions, and youth sports training programs.

The Chamber endorsed the construction of a multi-use sports facility for San Antonio, later to become the Alamodome.

The Chamber organized and led the “Operation Noel Get Well” project and mobilized the community to attend to the needs of soldiers flown to San Antonio for treatment of injuries sustained when the United States launched “Operation Just Cause” to help restore freedom in Panama.

The Chamber served as a catalyst for the creation of San Antonio Works!, a new board overseeing the Job Training Partnership Act programs in the Alamo area.

Chamber efforts resulted in the consolidation of various water-related agencies into a single entity, the San Antonio Water System. The Chamber and the White House partnered together to support the drafting of NAFTA.

The Chamber led “The Case for Kelly Field” effort, pulling together a community-wide coalition that resulted in Kelly’s survival through the round of base closures. NAFTA signed into law.

The Chamber celebrated 100 years in business

Working through local, state, and federal officials, The Chamber helped obtain federal funding for the construction of an overpass on IH 35 to facilitate access to the new Brooke Army Medical Center.

Helped found the International Agritech Center and the San Antonio Trauma Consortium

Foundation of the Chamber's Education & Workforce Development Council

Founded and organized the San Antonio Bioscience Association, leading to the formation of BioMedSA to foster the rapid growth of bioscience companies in San Antonio.

Hosted the first-ever meeting in San Antonio of the Texas Transportation Commission. Endorsed, supported, and actively worked for voter approval of Bexar County’s proposal to build a multi-purpose community venue at the Joe and Harry Freeman site.

Helped secure legislation creating Brooks City Base.

Served as a partner in creating the San Antonio Mobility Coalition (SAMCo), an organization that advocates for San Antonio region-based transportation initiatives and strategy.

As key members of “Team Toyota,” Chamber leaders helped negotiate the agreement that brought a Toyota Manufacturing North America facility to San Antonio. Toyota Texas is now where all Toyota pickups are manufactured.

Led the effort to temporarily relocate the New Orleans Saints to San Antonio in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Built local support for the funding for the Linear Creekways and Parks Development plan as set forth by the Parks and Recreation Department, which would the first of the City’s linear parks along Salado Creek from Northeast Loop 410 to Austin Highway.

Developed the Pathways to a Great City Task Force, focused on increasing investment in cultural arts facilities, more amateur sports facilities, more parks and green space in the city, an emphasis on recruiting and retaining young professionals, education, and infrastructure.

Successfully lobbied for San Antonio as the location of the new “Cyber Command” (now the 16th Air Force located at Lackland AFB)

Supported the creation of a downtown business and economic development plan to revitalize downtown. Assisted in the establishment of Texas A&M San Antonio as an independent university.

Supported the City of San Antonio’s proposed new Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Ordinance and their efforts to promote economic inclusion and empower small/minority/women-owned businesses.

Helped secure City Council passage of the Vista Ridge Pipeline project, ensuring a stable water supply for the future.

Launched SA Works, an industry-led coalition, funded by H-E-B and assembled to develop a comprehensive human capital strategy to fill the city and county’s most pressing talent needs.

Launched the Build Sec Foundry, a cybersecurity incubator that is accelerating product-based security startups in San Antonio.

Took a leadership role in discussions on modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), later becoming the USMCA Agreement.

Successfully defeated the City of San Antonio’s efforts to include a Labor Peace Agreement (LPA) requirement within the Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Food, Beverage, and Retail Prime Concessionaire at the San Antonio International Airport.

Aided the Alamo Colleges in the AlamoPROMISE, which provides no-cost enrollment in any of the district's schools for students who graduate from high school in San Antonio

Coordinated resources and supported local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic using the SA Chamber Rapid Response website and One City Initiative to revitalize downtown commerce.