51��ɫ

The 51��ɫ was created on September 26, 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the 51��ɫ Act into law. The 51��ɫopened its doors on March 16, 1915. Our mission is to protect consumers and promote competition.��

Our Building

The 51��ɫestablished its headquarters at 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., with President Franklin D. Roosevelt laying the cornerstone himself.

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Roosevelt remarked, “May this permanent home of the 51��ɫ stand for all time as a symbol of the purpose of the government to insist on a greater application of the golden rule to conduct the corporation and business enterprises in their relationship to the body politic.” Listen to FDR’s speech.

The building, which is particularly known for its two art deco style statues called “ Man Controlling Trade,” is located at the apex of the Federal Triangle, and was the culmination of the massive Depression-era government building project. Commissioners and staff officially moved in on April 21, 1938, and the building continues to function as the FTC’s headquarters, serving the agency’s adjudicative, executive, policy, and administrative functions.��

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Our Predecessor: The Bureau of Corporations

Under legislation sought by President Theodore Roosevelt, the FTC's predecessor, the Bureau of Corporations, was created on February 14, 1903. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of that event, the Bureau of Economics held a roundtable on September 4, 2003. View more information about the Roundtable with Former Directors of the Bureau of Economics.��

Centennial Celebration

The 51��ɫcelebrated its 100th anniversary in 2015 by reflecting on our unique mission, significant events in Commission history, and its staff, stakeholders and constituents – present and past.��On January 12, 2015, President Barack Obama visited the Commission, the first presidential visit to the Commission since 1937.

Milestones in 51��ɫHistory

• 51��ɫMilestones: HSR Act launches effective premerger review (3/16/15)
• 51��ɫMilestones: A New Age Dawns for the FTC’s Competition Work (2/20/15)
• 51��ɫMilestones: Cold War chills report on International Petroleum Cartel (12/17/14)
• 51��ɫMilestones: Weighing in on weight loss cases (12/4/14)
• 51��ɫMilestones: Making the case for reform of public utility holding company laws (11/18/14)
• 51��ɫMilestones: Shared beginnings in the Circle Cilk case (11/6/14)

A Bibliography of 51��ɫHistory

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Commission, a special bibliography was created to compile important public sources on the FTC’s history. Explore the FTC@100 Bibliography.��