National Civic League

Logo of the National Civic League

The National Civic League is an American non-profit organization that advocates for transparency, effectiveness, and openness in local government. It was founded as the National Municipal League in 1894 at the National Conference for Good City Government in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[1] The convention of politicians, policy-makers, journalists, and educators (including Theodore Roosevelt, Louis Brandeis, Marshall Field, and Frederick Law Olmsted) met to discuss the future of American cities. It also promotes professional management of local government through publication of "model charters" for both city and county governments.

It is best known for its All-America City Award, given to ten communities annually. It also has a Community Services Program, New Politics Program, and Federal-Community Partnership Program.

In the last 25 years, NCL has worked intensively with communities through its Community Services program to address current challenges including developing green and sustainable solutions, addressing racial inequity, and strengthening immigrant integration strategies.

Presidents of the League[2] Name Term James C. Carter 1894–1903 Charles J. Bonaparte 1903–1910 William D. Foulke 1910–1915 Lawson Purdy 1915–1919 Charles E. Hughes 1919–1921 Henry M. Waite 1921–1923 Frank L. Polk 1923–1927 Richard S. Childs 1927–1931 Murray Seasongood 1931–1934 Harold W. Dodds 1934–1937 Clarence A. Dykstra 1937–1940 John G. Winant 1940–1946 Charles Edison 1946 – December, 1950 Henry Bruère January, 1951 – November, 1953 George H. Gallup December, 1953 – November, 1956 Cecil Morgan December, 1956 – December, 1959 William Collins January, 1960 – November, 1962 Alfred E. Driscoll December, 1962–1970 William W. Scranton 1970 – November, 1972 Wilson W. Wyatt December, 1972 – November, 1975 Carl H. Pforzheimer December, 1975 – November, 1978 Robert H. Rawson December, 1978 – November, 1981 James L. Hetland, Jr. December, 1981 – November, 1985 Terry Sanford December, 1985 – November, 1986 John Parr December, 1986–1995 Christopher T. Gates 1995 – June 14, 2006 Derek Okubo (interim) June 15, 2006 – December 31, 2006 Gloria Rubio-Cortés January 2007 – present

Chairs of the Board Name Term Terrell Blodgett January 1, 1987 – October 31, 1987 William F. Winter November 1, 1987–1988 Henry G. Cisneros 1989–1991 George Latimer 1992 William F. Winter 1993 John W. Gardner 1994–1996 Anna F. Jones (acting) 1996 William W. Bradley 1997–1998 R. Scott Fosler 1999–2000 Dorothy S. Ridings 2001–2004 Robert Rawson, Jr. 2004–2007 Elizabeth Hollander 2007–2008 Sandra W. Freedman November, 2008 – present

See also

• League of California Cities, whose creation was inspired in part by the League

References

1. Proceedings of the National Conference for Good City Government Held at Philadelphia, January 25 and 26, 1894
2. Stewart, Frank Mann (1950), A Half Century of Municipal Reform; The History of the National Municipal League, Los Angeles, California: University of California Press, OCLC 6588777

External links

• Official website
• Open Library. Items related to the National Municipal League, various dates