Woodlawn in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Charles E. Merriam Center for Public Administration
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, December 4, 2021
1. Charles E. Merriam Center for Public Administration Marker
Charles E. Merriam, a distinguished member of the University of Chicago Political Science faculty was influential in this effort. Merriam was instrumental in securing a grant from the Spelman Fund to establish and house a coordinating group, the Public Administration Clearing House. This building was dedicated to that purpose upon completion in 1937.
In addition to PACH, the building has served as home for the National League of Cities, Council of State Governments, International City Management Association, American Public Works Association, International Association of Assessing Officers, American Planning Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, American Public Welfare Association, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, Government Finance Officers Association, International Public Personnel Association, Federation of Tax Administrators
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Originally known as "1313", the structure was subsequently renamed in Merriam's honor. Throughout its history it has served as a key clearing house for information vital to improving the quality of urban life.
This plaque is dedicated to contributions made by the building and its tenants to the improvement of state and local government and the public services they provide.
Erected 1987 by Waste Management, Inc.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.
Location. 41° 47.155′ N, 87° 35.571′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Woodlawn. It is on East 60th Street west of South Dorchester Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1313 East 60th Street, Chicago IL 60637, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically,
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, December 4, 2021
2. Charles E. Merriam Center for Public Administration Marker - wide view
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Masaryk Memorial Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Dewey (approx. 0.3 miles away); Garden of the Phoenix (approx. half a mile away); Enrico and Laura Fermi (approx. 0.6 miles away); Site of the First Self-sustaining Controlled Nuclear Chain Reaction (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Norway Building (approx. Ύ mile away); Obama Kissing Rock (approx. one mile away); "Original Professors Row" (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Museum of Science and Industry (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . Merriam Center (Encyclopedia of Chicago).
Excerpt: "The building was not without public controversy. An article, Terrible 1313, published in the American Mercury in 1959, attempted to document that 1313 was the headquarters of an anti-American movement to introduce zoning, building codes, public health laws, and other antiprivate property initiatives. In 1979, the building was renamed the Charles E. Merriam Center for Public Administration. By 1995 none of the original associations remained; they had all moved their headquarters to larger, newer, and for the most part, more federally focused locations."(Submitted on December 24, 2021.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 24, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 568 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 24, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
