Sustaining Board member and former Board Chairman Eleanor McCallie Cooper shared remarks on behalf of the McCallie Family, one of the original founding families of Chambliss Center for Children, then known as the Women’s Christian Association.
The crowd sat in front of the main childcare center to hear from local historian Linda Moss Mines
Chambliss Center for Children President/CEO Katie Harbison and CEO Emeritus Phil Acord removed several old documents like this letter from 1928 regarding the Vine Street Orphans Home.
Speakers for the event included, from left, Chambliss Center for Children President/CEO Katie Harbison, CEO Emeritus Phil Acord, local historian Linda Moss Mines, Board Chairman Julie Stowe, Representative Yusuf Hakeem, Sustaining Board member Eleanor McCallie Cooper, Hamilton County Director of Operations Jennifer Pukenas, and Brent Goldberg, City of Chattanooga CFO (not pictured).
Photographs from the 1978 Time Capsule Opening, a brochure for the agency’s centennial, and a Chattanooga Times Free Press article were among the treasures stored away in the cornerstone
Supporters of Chambliss Center for Children gathered on Tuesday morning to reveal the contents of a time capsule first placed in the agency’s cornerstone on Dec. 7, 1937.
As part of the organization’s 150th Anniversary Celebration, Board members, Sustaining Board members, and friends of the agency were invited to a special event at Chambliss Center for Children. During the event, attendees heard from Board Chairman Julie Stowe; Eleanor McCallie Cooper, a descendant of one of the organization’s founders; and local historian Linda Moss Mines about the history of the agency and relevance of the milestone anniversary.
City of Chattanooga CFO Brent Goldberg and Hamilton County Director of Operations Jennifer Pukenas presented proclamations from City Mayor Tim Kelly and Hamilton County Mayor Westin Wamp naming Oct. 29 “Chambliss Center for Children Day” in honor of the day the Board first recorded minutes. Afterwards, President and CEO Katie Harbison invited CEO Emeritus Phil Acord to assist her as they revealed the contents of the time capsule.
Ms. Harbison and Mr. Acord pulled out multiple newspapers from significant days in the agency’s history -- some dating back to the 1920s -- a guest book from the first Time Capsule Opening ceremony in 1978; a topographical map of the 17-acre campus; an agency brochure from the 100th Anniversary; pictures of children from the Vine Street Orphans Home; and numerous newspaper articles. The event concluded with a benediction from Rep. Yusuf Hakeem.
“Chambliss Center for Children has a tremendously storied past with so much rich history,” said Communications Coordinator Rachel Carroll. “We have guests here who attended our Centennial celebration in 1972 and some whose families have been supporters of the agency’s mission from its very beginning. Having the opportunity to take a step back into history during this event is truly a unique experience that would not be possible without the thousands of individuals who have made this agency strong for the last 150 years.”
In December of this year, the time capsule will be placed back in the cornerstone of the building. Until that time, Chambliss Center for Children has created an online form on their website to submit ideas regarding what should be included to represent the current happenings of the agency and community.
For more information about Chambliss Center for Children, please visit www.chamblisscenter.org or call 698-2456.