From the 3rd floor
of the Webb City Public Library
Webb City Area Genealogical Society
Society member Marilyn Clark began researching the history of the W Club, a storied association of Webb City High School lettermen, at the suggestion of Jim Dawson, when he was in the middle of overseeing construction of The W Club recreation center.
The recreation center, in the center of King Jack Park, will open next week.
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The story begins in a 1928 King Jack annual. That year there was the National Athletic Scholarship Society. To qualify you were required to letter in one of 4 major sports and have a grade average that was greater than the school average for three consecutive semesters.
In 1936 the annual speaks of a W Club. The members were boys who earn a school letter in one of the three major sports: football, basketball or track. There were 14 members at the start of the year, including Elliot Stone who would be killed as a pilot during World War II, and nine new members. Initiations were picnics on Spring River and at McClelland Park. There was still the National Athletic Scholarship Society, which had 11 members.
In 1937, plans were being made for the first time to have a football stadium. The land was donated by Harry Easley and A. D. Hatten. Alumni paid for all the concrete work, and materials were donated, costing the school nothing.
In 1943, the W Club sponsored the Cardinalettes, the first organization of 12 girls.
By 1947, there were “nine Little Peppers.” The W club also sponsored a dance with the orchestra music of Gene Dooley, serving sandwiches , cake and punch. There were printed dance programs with the athletic schedule on them.
In 1948, the annual stated that the W Club had the responsibility of choosing the “nine good to look at” cheerleaders. The invitational dance was the top social event of the year.
1949’s outstanding social events were the very informal initiation ceremonies and the strictly formal W Club Invitational Dance, held in the Elks Hall.
The first initiation picture in the annual was in 1951, with the caption, “Jim Hunter pours it on Bill Terry, wielding a big paddle .”
There were three pictures of initiation in the 1953 annual: “Weary initiates drag cars (Gay Nineties vintage) – they form the horsepower to hall the lordly W Club members.”
Wearing letter jackets, not sweaters, W Club members were shown in the 1955 annual standing in front of a trophy case they donated and planting shrubbery in front of the “new” gymnasium. The number of cheerleaders had decreased to five (two sophomores, two juniors and one senior).
In 1956, the W Club earned money for an electronic scoreboard at Hatten Field. It was the first annual to show a picture of those (four) making the National Athletic Honor Society. There were 24 in the entire W Club.
As the years progressed, the W Club continued, and there were initiation photos in various annuals.
The last initiation, a toned-down version, was held in the spring of 1972.
The W Club joined in the creation of the new Fellowship of Christian Athletes in 1979, under the sponsorship of coaches Tom Gosch and Rick Utter.
A new constitution in 1979 allowed girls to be admitted.
W Club members held lots of fundraising activities through the years and sponsored junior high tournaments and dances.
There were still dozens of W Club members through 1999 (where this yearbook research ended).