This Week in Odessa History

The Odessa Commercial Club’s weekly luncheon meetings were prestigious gatherings early in the last century.

The club, the name of which was later changed to the Odessa Chamber of Commerce, usually had a speaker of some distinction on the program. Meetings rotated among Odessa’ three restaurants. The events were always well attended by the owners, chief executives or managers of nearly every business in town.

In its issue of June 14, 1936, The Odessa Record gave this report of the June 12 meeting of the Commercial Club:

The Odessa Commercial club was told Wednesday that American gains through...