Nacogdoches Jaycees

Henry “Hy” Giessenbier visualized an organization that would allow young men to develop their business skills and reputations in the community. In his era, most young men were out of school and working by the age of 15. Their first jobs were most likely the jobs they held throughout their lives. With luck and hard work, some might reach executive positions by their forties. Giessenbier felt that young men were not receiving the opportunities necessary to develop their skills at a younger age, thus depriving our nation of an important resource, and so he formed the founding ideals of the U.S. Junior Chamber. We Believe: That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life; That the brotherhood of man transcends the Sovereignty of Nations; That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise; That government should be of laws rather than of men; That Earth's great treasure lies in human personality; And that service to humanity is the best work of life. - W. Brownfield