Commercial Investment Real Estate January/February 2017 | Page 25

Jay Levine, CCIM
Victor Lyon, CCIM
John Keepper, CCIM
1960
Quick Facts
about CCIM
Institute
Historical
Milestones
August 28, 1963 Martin
Luther King Jr. delivers his
“I Have a Dream” speech.
1961
1960s: Origins for the world-
wide web begin with research
by the U.S. government to build
robust, fault-tolerant communi-
cations by computer networks
1962
1963
Evolution of
CCIM Courses
1965
CCIM Institute Born
1969: CCIM instructors, Fred
Becker, CCIM, and Joseph P.
Klock, CCIM, kicked off “Opera-
tion Opportunity” where they trav-
eled on a five-day circuit through
Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi
for one-day seminars to sell the
CCIM gospel to the Realtor family.
The two led discussions in tax
and other aspects of real estate
investment to commercial real
estate professionals in Miami,
Tampa, Fla., Sarasota, Fla., Baton
Rouge, La., and Jackson, Miss.
CCIM.COM
“As cities are being dramatically
changed by modern building tech-
niques and man has the prospect
of far greater longevity due to
amazing medical advances — so
is the Realtor faced with dra-
matic changes in merchandising
techniques. Realtors specializing
in the brokerage of income proper-
ties are faced with an enormous
challenge. The age of computers
is upon us! Real estate investors
are demanding — and receiving —
increased professionalism.”
— John “Jack” Peckham, III, CCIM,
published this story for CID Letter
in 1968
1964
(L to R): Victor Lyon , CCIM, Jay Levine, CCIM, and
Palmer Berge, CCIM, who were CCIM pioneers,
CCIM leaders, and CCIM instructors.
CCIM Designee
Recognizes the
Power of Technology
1967: First human heart transplant
occurs in South Africa.
1966
1967
1968
1969
1967: The founding fathers of what
became CCIM Institute, Victor Lyon,
CCIM, of Seattle and Jay Levine,
CCIM, of San Francisco teach the
first national presentation of what be-
came the CI-101 course in Chicago.
1967: 300 commercial real estate
professionals are grandfathered into
the organization administered by
a division of the National Associa-
tion of Realtors, which ultimately
became CCIM Institute.
1969: CPE designation was
changed to Certified Investment
Member designation and four
months later to Certified Commercial
Investment Member designation
1969: First automated teller ma-
chine installed.
1970
1969: U.S. beats the Soviet Union
in landing on the moon; the first man
on the moon, Neil Armstrong, says,
“That’s one small step for a man; one
giant leap for mankind.”
From the start, the atmosphere
in CCIM courses was one of
academic training with an empha-
sis on application. CCIM classes
offered practical, down-to-earth,
inspirational, and imaginative ma-
terial taught by successful com-
mercial real estate practitioners.
Early CCIM courses included
economic analysis, how to arrange
a commission when no cash is
available, financing two-way
exchanges, and instruction in
tax motivation.
Branding CCIM
Designation
“We could have taken [the content
of] these courses and made mil-
lions. But we were trying to create
a designation recognizable by the
public. The goal was to upgrade the
profession we loved and develop a
cadre of people we could commu-
nicate and do business with.”
— Fred Becker, CCIM, early CCIM
Institute instructor