The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce was founded as the original Cody Club in 1900. We celebrate that founding every year with an annual dinner honoring our history. This year's Founder's Day will be at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West with a plated dinner including beef tenderloin, parmesan & garlic butter roasted potatoes, roasted broccolini, rolls, and dessert.
Thursday, November 12, 2026
5:30 pm - Doors open
5:30-6:00pm - Cocktail Hour
6:00pm - Dinner is served
6:30pm - "Why the West Matters" presentation by Dr. Paul Hutton
Paul Andrew Hutton is the Hal and Naoma Tate Endowed Chair and Curator of Western History at the Buffalo Bill Museum in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. He will be presenting, "Why the West Matters" - A discussion of how the westward movement came to define American Exceptionalism. Dr. Paul Hutton is an American cultural and military historian, an award-winning author, documentary writer, and television personality. He is also Distinguished Professor of History at the University of New Mexico, a former executive director of the Western History Association, and a past president of Western Writers of America. He earned his BA, MA, and PhD from Indiana University.
Hutton is a six-time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award and a six-time winner of the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
Beginning in 2026, the Founders' Day Dinner will be a little different than recent years. Planned for Thursday, November 12, 2026 the banquet will return to its traditional timing in November.
Founders' Day will no longer feature the Chamber's annual awards for businesses and individuals. Join us for the Chamber Awards Gala in early 2027 to celebrate with the winners. Learn more at codychamber.org/gala
To keep up on all Chamber events for the year, make sure to check our Events Calendar often and follow the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
