1954 |
Louisville established its first SC relationship with Montpellier (France). |
1956 |
President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the People-To-People Program, which spawned the Sister City movement. |
1962 |
Louisville established its second Sister City relationship with Quito (Ecuador). |
1977 |
Louisville established its third and fourth Sister City relationship with Mainz, Germany. Mainz did not formally recognize the relationship until 1994. |
1978 |
Sister Cities of Louisville, Inc. became incorporated as a nonprofit with a 501 (c)3 status. |
1979 |
Louisville hosted a Sister Cities International Conference. At the conference Tamale, Ghana became Louisville’s fifth Sister City. |
1980 |
Former Louisville Mayor Stansbury signed a chamber-to-chamber agreement with Montpellier to broaden business relationships and trade between the two cities. |
1981 |
Sister Cities of Louisville, Inc. (SCL) took over all Sister City relationships after 27 years as a function of the Mayor’s Office. |
1984 |
The Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky established a “Companion Diocese” in Tamale, which aided the growth of the relationship. |
1989 |
Montpellier hosted Louisville at a Technopole Conference to solidify economic development plans between the two cities in the area of medicine and agriculture. |
1989 |
Won an award from Sister Cities International (SCI) for organizing the “French Summer” program that year. |
1992 |
The Tamale Committee helped establish the African Cultural Center at the Shawnee Branch Library. |
1993 |
Hired first Executive Director. |
1994 |
Hosted the SCI Annual Conference for the second time. |
1995 |
The City of Louisville hosted an Economic Development Seminar for La Plata. |
1996 |
SCL won the Best Overall Program Award from SCI. |
1997 |
Mayor Jerry Abramson led a trade mission to La Plata. Won the SCI Best Overall Achievement Award in the field of Medicine for organizing the highly successful medical conference. |
1998 |
The Tamale Committee established the Tamale Scholarship & Aid Fund. Won the SCI Collaboration Award. |
1999 |
The Tamale Committee held an Economic Development Summit & a Damba Festival. |
2002 |
The Mainz Committee organized the Gutenburg Exhibit, which was held at the Louisville Free Public Library. Awarded SCL the Innovative Economic Development Award & the Innovative Sustainable Development Award. |
2003 |
The Tamale Committee participated in the Millennium Development Goals project sponsored by SCI and World Bank International. This project won an international award from SCI. |
2004 |
SCL hosted the Sister Cities 2004 Summit. SCL established its seventh SC relationship with Jiujiang (PR China). |
2006 |
SCL signed its eighth SC relationship with Leeds (England, United Kingdom). |
2009 |
Hosted Open World delegation of medical professionals from Perm. Several delegations from Louisville visited Leeds for student symposia, SCI annual conference, discussion included future programming, music festivals. Awarded a Gates Foundation grant for water tank & running water installation in the Tamale teaching hospital. |
2011 |
Established Sister School relationship between Lycee Jules Guesde Academy in Montpellier and St. Francis School in Louisville. Established Young Scholars Program with Jiujiang Bellarmine University and Hanover College (Indiana). Established Sister School relationship between Kentucky Country Day and Lincoln Academy with Bachillerato de Bellas Artes UNLP. |
2012 |
SCL signed its ninth Sister City relationship with Adapazari (Turkey). |
2014 |
SCL formally became “Friendship Cities” with Chengdu (PR China). |
2015 |
Hosted Open World delegation of young professionals from Perm . Hosted several visitors from Ghana, including: Alhaji Mohammed Haroon, Solomon Wyatt and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa |
2016 |
Collaboration w/WaterStep & IUS in response to devastating earthquake in Ecuador Began conversation with Quebec Province regarding a possible Sister City in the province. Hosted 50 special needs performing arts students & their chaperones from Guangzhou China. Created new program “Educator Practicum” to encourage exchange of ideas & best business practices in Louisville’s Sister Cities. |
2017 |
Awarded capacity-building grant from Community Foundation of Louisville’s Fund for Louisville. Created two series of lectures/events with Louisville Free Public Library to rotate throughout the system during the calendar year. Completed the first Strategic Plan for the organization (pdf) |
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