Charles Henry Wacker (August 29, 1856 – October 31, 1929) was an American businessman and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

. He was vice chairman of the general committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and in 1909 was appointed chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission by Mayor Fred A. Busse. As commission chairman from 1909 to 1926, he championed the Burnham Plan for improving

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. His work to promote the plan included addresses, obtaining wide publicity from newspapers, and publishing ''Wacker's Manual of the Plan of Chicago'' (by Walter D. Moody) as a textbook for local schoolchildren.

Life

Wacker was born in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

on August 29, 1856. His father Frederick Wacker, a brewer, was born in

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. Charles Wacker was educated at Lake Forest Academy (class of 1872) and thereafter at the University of Stuttgart and the

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public university, public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by French theologian John Calvin as a Theology, theological seminary. It rema ...

. He worked in a commission house until 1880, when he started work in his father's malting firm. After his father died in 1884, Wacker became president of the Wacker and Birk Brewing and Malting Company. He was later president of the McAvoy Brewing Company, and director of the Chicago Heights Land Association, Corn Exchange National Bank, Chicago Title and Trust Company, and South Elevator Company, and was part of a consortium of Chicago brewers who underwrote the methods that facilitated the commercialization of

refrigeration Refrigeration is any of various types of cooling of a space, substance, or system to lower and/or maintain its temperature below the ambient one (while the removed heat is ejected to a place of higher temperature).IIR International Dictionary of ...

machines. Wacker was a director of the 1893 Columbian Exposition held in Chicago. He died at his home in

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Lake Geneva is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located in Walworth County and situated on Geneva Lake, it was home to 8,277 people as of the 2020 census, up from 7,651 at the 2010 census. It is located southwest of Milwaukee and no ...

, on October 31, 1929, and was buried at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. Wacker Drive, built as part of the Burnham Plan, and Charles H. Wacker Elementary School are named in his honor.

References

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External links

Encyclopedia of Chicago Online Chicago Plan ImplementationWacker Family Papers
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the Newberry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wacker, Charles 1856 births 1929 deaths American brewers American people of German descent American urban planners Businesspeople from Chicago Lake Forest Academy alumni People from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Philanthropists from Illinois Burials at Graceland Cemetery (Chicago)