Little Rock Founders Lions Club

Arkansas - United States

HISTORY OF THE

LITTLE ROCK LIONS CLUB

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BUSINESS, PROFESSIONAL MEN FOR "LIONS CLUB"

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Charter Closes With 39 Members 

Grover T. Owens Elected President

Purposes of Organization

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The Lions' Club charter was closed with 39 members at noon yesterday at the New Capital hotel and officers for the year elected. They are: Grover T. Owens, president; Fred C. Bragg, vice-president; Ector R. Johnson, secretary; T. G. Bond treasurer. Frank B. Gregg, W. N. Brandon and E. N. Pettit were elected trustees. Constitution and by-laws of the club will be submitted at the next luncheon at 2:15 o'clock next Thursday.

The purposes of the club are to promote the business or profession of members through plans embodying the knowledge of all for their individual and mutual benefit and to take an active part in movements for the commercial, professional and civic betterment of Little Rock. It will seek to promote all legitimate occupations and to dignify each member's occupation, to encourage efficiency by the exchange of ideas and business methods, to quicken interest in the public welfare and co-operate in civic development.

The charter members are: Grover T. Owens, Frank B. Gregg, I. Loewenberg, J. I. Trawick, Dr. Glen M. Holmes, Henry Leigh, W. N. Brandon, E. E. Waldren, W. L. Cobb, F. C. Bragg, A. M. West, A. B. Montgomery, C. A. Vane, Dr. T. J. Richardson, Ector R. Johnson, Jim W. Green, J. J. Healey, R. M. Williams, W. H. Dwiggins, F. A. Banks, C. N. Faubel, James P. See, Fred Pattee, T. L. Bond, Theo M. Sanders, J. H. Parkin, W. D. Thomas, C. P. Thomas, James W. Strawn, O. W. Schneffer, J. J. Hunter, Dr. J. R. Wayne, E. N. Pettit, George W. Clements, W. E. Bell, Joe Jung, A. B. Hill, J. H. Stanley and R. S. Kettering.

(THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE, LITTLE ROCK,  FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1916)

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In March 1916, Lion George M. Cunningham of Dallas, Texas, came to Little Rock and organized the Little Rock Lions Club.  He also organized the Texarkana Club at that time.

In June 1917, Melvin Jones of Chicago, Ill., conceived the idea of organizing some fifty unaffiliated clubs over the country into one club.  The object was to unite the clubs invited into an international body.  

Two of the clubs invited and which sent representatives to Chicago were the Lions Clubs of Little Rock and Texarkana.  The International Association of Lions Clubs was formally founded on June 7, 1917 in the Hotel LaSalle, Chicago, Illinois.

It is interesting to note that Arkansas is one of the states which had Lions Clubs organized and active before the present Lions International came into existence.  The Little Rock club, having been orgainzed on March 16, 1916, is the oldes club in Lions International from the standpoint of continuous service.

The first annual convention of Lions International was held in Dallas, Texas, October 9-11, 1917 with 25 clubs participating.  Little Rock being one of these clubs.  Dr. W. P. Woods of Evansville, Indiana, was elected the first president of Lions International and Melvin Jones of Chicago, Illinois, was elected secretary, which office he held from 1917 to July 1950 when he retired as chief administration officer.

In Arkansas, after Little Rock and Texarkana were organized in 1916, clubs in Fort Smith, Hot Springs and Jonesboro followed in 191.  At the end of 1919, ther were five Lions Clubs in Arkansas with a total membership of 483.  Today, Arkansas has 147 clubs with approximately 6,500 members.

The first state convention for Arkansas (7th District) was held in Little Rock, June 15, 1920.  The first District Governor was Thos. J. Parker, scretary of the Little Rock Club.  The first president of the Little Rock Club was Grover T. Owens and the first secretary, Thos. J. Parker.  We have had forty presidents during our forty two years of existence, Lions Will Terry and Earle W. Hodges, having served two years each.

Members of our club who have served Arkansas as District Governors are:  Thos. J. Parker, Theo C. Treadway, Will Terry, Brooks Hays, Earl Hodges, Hugo W. Norvell, Finis E. Davis, Ed Barry and George B. Tyler.  Bernie Hoff served the 7th District for a great many years as District Secretary.

Our club boasts that we have had three members who were elected President of Lions International:  Earl W. Hodges and Ed G. Barry, and Finis E. Davis, who will be elevated to this exalted position at the International Convention in 1960.

Three active members of our club have been loyal Lions for more than 37 years.  They are:

George Rose--39 years, since June 1920.

Harry W. Elliott--38 years, since March 1921.

Bernie Hoff--37 years, since April 1922.

Here are some of the highlights of our activities during the years:

Raised the first $1000 to purchase musical instruments for the Little Rock Senior (now Central) High School Band.

Started the stand program for employing adult blind, now so successfully being operated by the Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind.

Raised $10,000.00 for a Rat Control Program in our city, turning this revolving fund over and over, until $100,000.00 worth of work was done.

Raised $10,000,00 for inauguration of the Adjustment Center for Adult Blind.

Elected Ed Barry to Third Vice President of Lions International in 1954.  He was elevated to the highest office of International President in 1957.

(excerpted from the "ROSTER - Little Rock Lions Club" book of H. A. Tiemann, circa 1958.)

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