2009 Founder's Award: Union League Club of Chicago

The Union League Club of Chicago received the 2009 Founder's Award for their dedication to the mission of the Museum & Library and the heritage of the Citizen Soldier.

The Union League Club of Chicago has been a long-standing partner of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library on a wide range of activities, programs, and outreach. The Club has co-sponsored visits of Medal of Honor recipients and co-hosted monthly leadership breakfasts, featuring these recipients in outreach to members and the public. The Club also served as a support base for the Museum & Library’s visiting authors and other guests, and has been an active supporter of the annual Liberty Gala.

The Union League Club traces its roots to the Union Leagues of America, a movement begun in Illinois during the Civil War to help President Lincoln defend the Union. It has played an instrumental part in many great moments in Chicago life, from the Club’s early advocacy on behalf of the 1893 World’s Colombian Exposition to the establishment of cultural landmarks like the Field Museum and the Harold Washington Library Center.

hroughout its history, the Union League Club has been a vigorous advocate on behalf of the men and women of our nation’s military. During World War I, the Club fielded its own Illinois National Guard unit. Today, in addition to an in-house American Legion Post, they have established the '721 Club'—a support group to aid the crew and families of the Navy nuclear submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721)— and the 'Chicago 502,' an organization dedicated to supporting the soldiers and families of the Army’s 502nd Regiment/101st Airborne Division. The Club also commissioned the heroic statue "America" at Midway International Airport in honor of the valiant Americans who fought in the Battle of Midway.