Skip to main content

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

RESEARCH Book by Richard C. Longworth
Hardcover book of Chicago and the World

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.

Learn more about the book and the Council's history through archival photos, videos, and more.

About the Author
Distinguished Fellow, Global Cities
Council expert Richard C. Longworth
Richard Longworth is a distinguished fellow on global cities at the Council and is the author of "Chicago and the World." For 20 years, Longworth was a foreign correspondent and served four years as the Chicago Tribune’s chief European correspondent. He was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, has won the Overseas Press Club award twice, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice.
Council expert Richard C. Longworth