Resources
Celebrating 250 Years of America and 140 Years of Chambliss
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Chambliss is proud to mark 140 years of serving clients and communities in Chattanooga. Since the firm’s founding in 1886, both our nation and our firm have experienced remarkable moments of growth, change, and achievement. This timeline highlights key milestones in Chambliss’ history alongside notable events that helped shape the U.S., offering a look back at the people, places, and moments that defined the last 140 years.
1885: Two young attorneys, Robert Pritchard and James Burnet Sizer, started a partnership in Madisonville, Tennessee. A few years later, they moved their practice to Chattanooga and formed a partnership with Alexander W. Chambliss, who began practicing in Chattanooga in 1886.
1886: The Statue of Liberty was dedicated, welcoming millions of immigrants to America.
1893: Chambliss became a tenant of the new Ochs Building. Long known as the Times Building, and now as the Dome Building, it was the tallest office building in Chattanooga when it was completed in 1892.
1920: The Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote.
1929: The Wall Street Crash of 1929 triggered the Great Depression and reshaped American economic and political life for the next decade.
1935: Social Security Administration was created, providing support for millions of Americans.
1964: The Civil Rights Act became law, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
1968: The Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia Railway dedicated a 2,000-horsepower GP engine to John Chambliss, praising him for having been the TAG Railroad’s “conductor” for many years.
1983: The firm moved to the Tallan Building after many years in the Maclellan building. At the time, the firm had ten partners: Jac Chambliss, Max Bahner, William Crutchfield, Joe Gaston, J. Nelson Irvine, Joe Davis, Pete Gervin, Kirk Snouffer, William “Bill” Aiken, and William “Bill” Pickering.
1997: The largest merger in the firm’s history took place when Chambliss & Bahner merged with Stophel & Stophel, becoming Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.
2013: Chambliss moved into the refurbished Liberty Tower building at Sixth and Chestnut streets. Displayed in the lobby is an 11-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty. It serves as a fitting reminder of the firm’s history: Lady Liberty arrived in New York Harbor the same year Pritchard and Sizer formed their partnership in Madisonville, Tennessee.
1924: The firm relocated to Provident’s newly constructed office building, now known as the Maclellan Building, continuing Alexander W. Chambliss’ tradition of establishing his office in Chattanooga’s newest office buildings. The firm’s 11th-floor space featured an unusually high ceiling, designed to accommodate the law library.
1930: Sizer, Chambliss & Sizer became Chambliss, Sizer & Kefauver after Estes Kefauver won a case against Sizer, impressing him with his courtroom presence.
1944: The Chambliss firm divided, with one part becoming Chambliss & Chambliss and the other Sizer, Kefauver & Duggan. Chambliss retained corporate and trial work while Sizer took the auto accident and casualty insurance defense.
1969: Apollo 11 Moon Landing put Americans on the moon.
1996: The 1996 Summer Olympics came to Atlanta. The event welcomed athletes from 197 countries, showcased unforgettable moments like Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic torch, and helped put Atlanta on the global stage.
2009: Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first Black U.S. president.
2020: NASA and SpaceX launched astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil for the first time since 2011, marking the beginning of a new era in American spaceflight.
2020: Chambliss unveiled a refreshed brand identity featuring new accent colors, a renewed emphasis on its “Fiercely Loyal” tagline, and a greater integration of “Jac,” the firm’s longtime black lab mascot named in honor of the late Jac Chambliss. The rebrand celebrated the firm’s history while reflecting the spirit and values that continue to guide the firm today.
2026: The United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence and a quarter millennium of history, innovation, and the enduring ideals of freedom and democracy.
