History

Our founder, Henry "HY" Giessenbier wanted to develop the business skills and the reputation of young men. He felt that young men could make a difference in business and in the community. This approach was unusual, because during this period most young men were out of school by the age of fifteen, and their first jobs were the jobs they died in. If they were lucky, they might work their way into an executive position by the time they were in their forties. But Hy knew that the twelve signers of the Declaration of Independence were under 35; Thomas Jefferson was only 33 when he wrote the original draft of the document.

Hy Gissenbier felt that in order for young people to improve their prospects for social and career advancements they would first have to join forces socially. The Herculaneum Dance Club became the most popular in the city. In 1914, the Herculaneum Dance Club merged with six other socially-minded groups to form the Federation of Dancing Clubs, Hy was elected president. On October 13, 1915, at the Mission Inn in St. Louis, Missouri, Hy and 32 young men agreed to form the Young Men’s Progressive Civic Association (YMPCA), developing their skills as leaders by tackling difficult civic problems. On January 21, 1920, the YMPCA transformed into a corporation and took the name The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce.

In 1963, Dr. Lou Berta and a group of dedicated young men decided to form the North Columbus Jaycees. The City of Columbus had grown tremendously since the formation of the cities first Jaycee Chapter, the Columbus Jaycees and the need arose for a Jaycee Chapter in the Northern Columbus Area. Because of this, the North Columbus Jaycees was born. Looking for a way to best serve the community and serve the needs of its members, the founders of the chapter started with a project to paint a flag pole, which evolved into the Flags on High project. Later, the idea to create affordable senior housing in Columbus, Ohio was born. Today, the North Columbus Jaycees has two senior housing complexes which house hundreds of senior’s in Columbus. Our chapter is dedicated to serving the needs of our members, the residents of our senior communities, and the citizens of our city.

Charter's from the US and International Jaycees

United States Jaycee History

Junior Chamber International History