The Advertisers Protective Bureau, Inc

The Kansas City BBB has been around since 1916, but we haven't always used that name.  Before 1923, there was no such thing as the "Better Business Bureau."  All of the Bureaus were known as Advertising Clubs or Vigilance Committees.  In Kansas City, we were known as The Advertisers Protective Bureau, Inc. of the Kansas City Advertising Club.  It was quite long-winded. I'm glad we changed it.

I've been recently digging through the BBB archives.  I looked though some of our earliest published documents, expecting to find nothing before 1923 when we officially became the Better Business Bureau. To my delight, I found our annual report from 1920 tucked into a book.  For our Kansas City Historians, I thought I might publish this little cookie on the blog.  So, without further ado...









Our advertising code is still very similar and the claims were similar to what they are now.  Interesting stuff.