1956 — Founding

The International Center of the Capital Region, Inc. (ICCR) owes its founding to the experiences and efforts of John and Ruth Blackburn. The Blackburns traveled to Denmark under the auspices of a program called “Meet the Danes at Home.” Upon their return to the United States, they decided to establish a similar program for newly arrived immigrants from Europe.


The Center was founded in 1956 as an informal dinner club providing hospitality and friendship to international visitors in the Capital Region.



From its beginnings, the International Center focused on welcoming international newcomers and helping them build connections within the local community. This early emphasis on hospitality would become the foundation for the Center’s expanding role in the Capital Region during the decades that followed.

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    John Blackburn welcomes a delegation of Japanese business professionals participating in a Rotary exchange program.Write your caption here

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    Archival newspaper photograph of ICCR founders John and Ruth Blackburn during the organization’s early years.Write your caption here

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    Newspaper profile of ICCR’s first president, Charles Riley, recalling his experiences in Russia.Write your caption here

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    Archival portrait of early ICCR director Denis Blaise standing beside his wife.

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