Chicago and the World: 100 Years of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

A dual history, of a century of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and of the foreign policy battles and debates as they paraded across the Council's stage.

The Council came to life in 1922 in a Chicago dominated by isolationism. It led the great debate over American participation in World War II and, after that war, over the nation’s new dominant role in the world. As a forum, it struggled with all the major issues—Vietnam, the Cold War, the War on Terrorism, and whether America is best served by an active or restrained foreign policy.

The book, written by Council senior fellow Dick Longworth, digs into 100 years of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. It reflects on key periods of a tumultuous history, one full of ups and downs, driven by vivid characters, and enlivened by constant debate over where both the institution and its city belong in the world.

Generous matching grants from Bruce and Martha Clinton and Bob and Susan Arthur made this book possible, along with support from Pat and Ron Miller and Adele Simmons.