Future Business Leaders of America is the largest business Career and Technical Student Organization in the world. Each year, FBLA helps more than 230,000 members in middle school, high school, and college prepare for careers in business. The concept for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) was developed in 1937 and the first high school chapter was chartered in Johnson City, Tennessee in 1942. In 1958, the first chapter of Phi Beta Lambda (now FBLA Collegiate) was chartered at the University of Northern Iowa. The FBLA-Middle Level division (now FBLA Middle School) was started in 1994 for students in grades 5-9. The FBLA Network is rooted in the former Alumni & Professional Division, which began in 1979. Hamden L. Forkner founded FBLA in 1937. Professor Forkner developed the concept while at the Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City, and envisioned a national organization that would unite the thousands of business clubs in the nation’s high schools and colleges. In 1940, The National Council for Business Education (now known as the National Business Education Association) sponsored the proposed student organization. Committees were appointed to formulate the organization’s general plans. The name “Future Business Leaders of America” was selected for the organization.