The LITHUANIAN AMERICAN COUNCIL (LAC) was founded in 1915 and reorganized in 1940. It provides authoritative information about Lithuania and its people, and represents the interests of the Lithuanian-American organizational community. As a national umbrella organization representing an estimated one million Americans of Lithuanian descent, LAC has a long history of actively pursuing issues of vital interest to Lithuanian-Americans and their organizations. LAC publishes and disseminates information in English dealing with the activities of Lithuanian American organizations and issues relating to Lithuania and Central Europe in general. Past LAC initiatives have included promotion of NATO and European Union expansion into the Baltic countries; visa waver program for Lithuanian citizens entering US; sustained support for U.S. economic and military cooperation with Lithuania; ongoing efforts to maintain and expand the congressional Baltic Caucus, and continuing representation of the organized community
in the public sector. LAC is based in Chicago, with branches nationwide and a public affairs office in Washington D.C. Since its inception, the Council has successfully united Lithuanian-Americans in fostering democratic principles, seeking basic human rights, supporting the establishment of peaceful relations among nations, and the restoration and now the maintenance of Lithuania’s independence, national, energy and economic security.