Public Affairs Committee

The Union League Club is the only private club in the United States that carries out a systematic program of civic involvement.

Since its inception, the Club has worked to achieve honesty and efficiency in governmental affairs. From initiating efforts to combat election fraud in the 1890s, to forming the Chicago Crime Commission in 1919, to trimming patronage and waste in the Metropolitan Sanitary District in the 1960s, establishing the Armed Forces Council of Chicago in the 1970s, to protecting Chicago’s Personnel Code in the 1980s, the Club has been a partner in the development and growth of our city. Recently the Club had a major voice in the debate over the expansion of O’Hare International Airport, in calling for a moratorium on executions in the state of Illinois, and in the passage of strong ethics legislation.

The committee addresses major issues of interest and concern to Club members and maps out strategies for implementation of its positions, including coalition building, informational campaigns, sponsorship of debates and forums, and testimony before legislative committees. Working subcommittees change over time to meet the interests of members and needs of the community.

The Public Affairs Committee has forged partnerships with leading Chicago organizations to address significant public policy issues and conduct forums on topics of current concern.