In 1945, World War II came to an end and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce came to life.
The chamber is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, championing the Arlington business community and seeking to make the city an attractive place to start and run a business. Chamber CEO and President Michael Jacobson said that he’s not an expert on the history of the chamber but knows that while much has changed since 1945, the betterment of Arlington has been a constant goal.
“If you go back in time, if you go back into 1945, we’re still at the end of World War II. We’re preparing for the economy that’s going to grow dramatically after World War II, and Arlington is a town of somewhere around 5,000 people,” Jacobson said. “So, we’re sort of starting from ground zero at that point.”
Now, with a population of more than 400,000, Arlington is home to a booming business community that includes the General Motors assembly plant, a leading research university, a center for sports and entertainment in the state, and much more. The city was founded in 1876 by railroad men on the Texas and Pacific Railway and it was officially incorporated as a municipality on April 21, 1884.
Jacobson said he recently read an article from the 1940s on a chamber membership and retention drive.
“They were trying to grow to over 300 members, which would be sizable for back then,” he said. “They were worried about our focus. They were focused on the same sort of things we’re focused on — how do you grow the economy?”
Jacobson said that education is a key part of that.
“Arlington State College — now UT Arlington — was certainly on the chamber’s mind,” Jacobson said. “They had a lot of viewpoints on things like zoning and put together traffic studies. They were very active on things that mattered, things that were important. In that regard, I don’t know that it’s changed dramatically.”
Jacobson said the chamber was seeking to help the city grow an identity.
He cited an example from the past that is applicable today.
“In 1946, Arlington was very concerned that a Fort Worth company put a sign on Division (Street) that was still in Arlington that said, ‘Welcome to Fort Worth,’ and Arlington was very angry,” Jacobson said. “They said, it’s about civic pride. We’re proud of who we are, and we’re our own city, which is not dissimilar today from FIFA calling AT&T Stadium, Dallas Stadium for the World Cup.”
The stadium in Arlington will host multiple World Cup elimination games in 2026 at AT&T Stadium under the misnomer of “Dallas Stadium.”
The chamber has more than 1,000 members and is noting the 80th anniversary in a number of ways, including honoring longtime members each month. In August, for example, these companies are among those listed for their long memberships:
60+ Years:
PSK LLP
50+ Years:
Dan Dipert Coaches
40+ Years:
mma Texas
30+ Years:
R.J. Aldriedge Companies Inc.
Roy Gully, D.V.M., P.C.
Wells Fargo Advisors
Southside Bank – Arlington South
Frost Bank
Jackson, Landrith & Kulesz PC
The chamber has scheduled its 80th Annual Dinner for Sept. 12 at Live! By Loews in the Arlington Entertainment District. The formal/black-tie-optional event has been themed “From the Vault.” It will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and will feature a silent auction, live auction and a raffle.
Jacobson said the chamber has been involved in many important undertakings to better the community.
He cited former chamber president, U.S. Rep. and Mayor Tom Vandergriff’s successful pursuits of the General Motors plant in 1954 and the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball franchise in 1972 as efforts the chamber actively supported.
The city and the chamber are still tackling challenges, which Jacobson said he sees as opportunities.
“In Arlington, we are a major city. We’re one of the top 50 cities as far as population goes in the country. And because we are a large city, we have challenges that come along with that,” he said. “Education is critically important, and what are we doing to create the talent that we need to drive our economy in the future?”
Jacobson said that upskilling and reskilling the labor force is a challenge that is not dissimilar from 1945.
“It is dramatically different, and some things stay the same, but we do need to make sure that we’re creating an opportunity for everybody that lives in Arlington to have a brighter future. For that to be successful, education is key, and upskilling and reskilling people is critically important,” Jacobson said. “From that standpoint, I think the challenge is what are you doing to make sure that your human capital is able to see tremendous success, and position your community for economic prosperity. The same issue in 1946 is the same issue today.”
He said that unlike the 1940s when open land was plentiful, the city faces a future of diminishing land resources.
“The challenge for Arlington that would be different back then, Arlington had the ability to expand dramatically. From a land standpoint and from growth today, we are fairly well landlocked,” Jacobson said. “We do not have a lot of greenfield or undeveloped property. (In the past) they certainly didn’t have to spend a lot of time worrying about redevelopment. They were focused on development, but in Arlington today redevelopment is the biggest opportunity that we have.”
That doesn’t mean the city isn’t actively pursuing new businesses, and Jacobson said the chamber was instrumental in the creation of the Arlington Economic Development Corporation to help attract them. Businesses such as E-Space, Salcomp, Mozee, and others have recently chosen Arlington for headquarters and manufacturing sites.
Jacobson credited previous leaders for setting Arlington on a strong course.
“We’re standing on the shoulders of giants,” Jacobson said. “We’re building on what previous generations have done, focused on the same desire that those previous generations had, which is to make Arlington be the best city it can possibly be.”
Lance Murray is a freelance contributor covering business for the Arlington Report.
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