In 1972 when the Chicago Botanic Garden opened to the public, it introduced the nation's "second city" to its new botanic garden. Just one of a proliferation of new museums in the second half of the twentieth century, the botanic garden would become a national leader of in community work as museums and public gardens focused on local community engagement. From its inception, CBG aspired to join the most well-established botanic gardens in the United States. This dissertation documents the financial, social, and personal influences that shaped programs that were innovative and effective.