After a close competition at the Northwest Archery Tournament, held August 5-6, 1939 at Jefferson Park, Mrs. Pat Chambers of Portland (left) won the Northwest women's title by 9 points over Mrs. Belvia "Billy" Carter of Seattle. Billy Carter was the current women's national champion. (TNT 8/7/1939, pg. 11)

Archery--Tacoma--1930-1940; Awards; Carter, Billie; Pacific Northwest Archery Association (Tacoma);

The 13th annual Pacific Northwest Archery Association Tournament was held August 5-6, 1939 at the Jefferson Park ranges in Tacoma. Tacoma was well represented in the Junior Division with Dorothy Axtelle, left, and Sonny Johns, second from left, winning the Northwest Junior titles. Mr. and Mrs. Pat Chambers, right, of Portland won the men's and women's titles. The couple were the defending title holders. Mr. Chambers was also the current men's national champion. The quartet posed behind a bench with arrows and trophies on display. (TNT 8/7/1939, pg. 11; TT 8/7/1939, pg. 10)

Archery--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bows (Archery); Awards; Johns, Sonny; Axtelle, Dorothy; Chambers, Pat; Chambers, Pat--Family; Pacific Northwest Archery Association (Tacoma);

Sam Jackson, center, helped make July 23, 1939 special for two unidentified polio victims by taking them to a Tacoma Tigers double header at Athletic Park, near So. 15th and Sprague. Samuel Jackson was president of the Tacoma General Hospital and chairman of the board of the National Bank of Washington. The "Golden Jubilee" was the Tacoma celebration of Washington's 50th anniversary of statehood.

Baseball--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Tigers (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Tacoma Athletic Park (Tacoma); Jackson, Samuel M.;

ca. 1939. Football Jamboree. Group of eight football players draw numbers from hats held by man standing behind a microphone in this night time scene. Ordered by Harold Shaw.

Football players--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Gig Harbor High School 1939 football team. Front row, left to right, George Gilreath, John Swenson, John Peterson, Donald Ribbe, Coach Husby, Elmer Skahan, Roland Spadoni, Melvin Johnson, Jack Finnigan and Donald Reed. Second row, l to r, Christian Wally (manager), Bill Wight, Marvin McCartney, Bert Perry, bill Parrish, Robert Ryan, Donald Sehmel, James Russo, Jack Wagner, Bill Hayes, Douglas Stremme, Glen Perkins and Edgar Best. Third row, l to r, Frank Foutch, Francis Hahn, Ray Edwards, John Bowman, Warren Watson, Harry Reed, Charles Parkman, Preston Challender, Howard Reed, Roland Adolphson and Richard Brown. The team, coached by Einar Husby, had a respectable season, finishing with 3 wins, 2 ties and 1 loss to the stronger Vashon Pirates. (T. Times 11/2/1939, pg. 26)

Football players--Gig Harbor; Gig Harbor High School (Gig Harbor);

Unidentified player #62 of the Stadium High School varsity football team. During the season, #62 was worn by player Dick Hiltbrunn.

Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1930-1940;

Bob Weaver, #64 for the 1939 Bellarmine Bells, about to catch the football in mid-stride in this photograph dated September 12, 1939.

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weaver, Bob; Private schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma)--Sports;

ca. 1939. College of Puget Sound head football coach in 1939, Leo Frank. The Loggers had a disappointing season in 1939, finishing with 1 win and 3 losses. (1940 CPS yearbook "Tamanawas.")

Frank, Leo; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940;

No, it's not the Rockettes, it's Coach John Heinrick and his 1939 Stadium High School football team during a practice session. Coach Heinrick, in his fourth year of coaching, was riding the crest of two undefeated seasons with the Tigers. 1939 was not a record year however, as the Blue and Gold suffered its first defeat in 23 games. Having put the pressure of continuing the undefeated tradition behind them, they fought back to win the city crown for the 6th consecutive year. The Tacoma Times lauded their courage and stamina in the face of defeat and voted the entire team onto their high school football honor roll. Team members, left to right, are Vern Miller, Rod Giske, Roy Murphy, Jack Wilson, Austin Fengler, Wes Hudson, Marion Klarich, Dick Beckman, Chuck Horjes, Bill Gustafson and Fred Angus. (T. Times 10/30/1939, pg. 11) TPL-9195

Heinrick, John; Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Hockey season ends with the 1938-1939 Ice Hockey Champions, Griffin Fuel team at Lakewood Ice Arena. Captain Bill Anderson and two unidentified men. (T. Times, 4/20/1939, p. 14)

Ice hockey--Lakewood--1930-1940; Ice hockey players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Griffin Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Lakewood Ice Arena (Lakewood); Anderson, Bill;

Color photograph of baseball team. The uniformed 15-member University Place Cougar baseball team poses proudly on September 19, 1964. The two men with the group are probably their coaches. Three trophies are placed in front of two kneeling players on the gym floor. Photograph ordered by William Johnson.

Baseball players--University Place--1960-1970; Awards;

Paul Spruell in action on May 11, 1965, at the Lakewood Ice Arena. He competed in the Novice men category in 1965. Paul was practicing for the "Ice Capers of 1965" presented by the Lakewood Winter Club later in the month. In January, 1966, Paul, 16, would compete in the U.S. Ice Skating Championships in Berkeley, California. It would be his first time at nationals. Photograph ordered by Lakewood Winter Club. (TNT 5-16-65, D-1, TNT 1-23-66, B-12)

Ice skating--Lakewood--1960-1970; Skaters; Spruell, Paul;

This group of older teens played amateur baseball under the Cheney Studs name during the summer of 1967. Mr. Cheney sponsored many teams in a variety of sports and baseball was no exception. There was more than one Cheney Studs baseball team in the local area with varying ages and abilities. Future major leaguer Ron Cey is third from left, second row. He would go on to a long career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and finishing up with the Oakland Athletics. NW League and State champs, these players would go onto Regionals in Portland in August and advance to national playoffs by defeating Oregon champions A.B. Smith. The Studs had a sparkling 37-1 record prior to the American Amateur Baseball Congress tournament held in Battle Creek, MI in September. The 1966 Seattle Tacoma Cheney Studs had been the national runners-up in the AABC title game. Tacomans Ron Cey, Rick Austin, Earl Hyder and Skip Gillis were in their final seaon with the Studs. Starting in 1968, Tacoma-area residents would not be permitted to play for Seattle-based AABC teams. (TNT 8-15-1967, p. 24-article, TNT 8-25-1967, p. 27-names of players & photograph; TNT 8-28-1967, D-8-article; various other sports articles in TNT)

Baseball players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Baseball--Tacoma--1960-1970; Cey, Ron;

One of Ben Cheney's Cheney Studs baseball teams posed for a group shot in July of 1967. Thousands of youngsters were given the opportunity to play a variety of sports thanks to the generosity of well-known lumberman and philanthropist Ben Cheney. All of the teams used the Cheney Studs logo on their uniforms.

Baseball players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Baseball--Tacoma--1960-1970; Uniforms;

Captured in print for all time is a portrait of youth in action. Six Cheney Studs Courteers are pictured in various poses, mimicking the frenetic activity of their half-time basketball shows. The junior high school boys would entertain crowds gathered at high school, college and even professional games, with their high potency basketball skills. They were sponsored by lumberman and philanthropist Ben Cheney. Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber Co.

Basketball players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Basketball--Tacoma--1960-1970; Balls (Sporting goods);

Wood carving. Forever frozen in step is this football player carved from wood. He clutches a football against his chest as he races toward an unseen goal line. This carving may have been created by Tacoma master artist Art McKellips. There were apparently several other carvings done at the same time which depicted the art of golf, basketball and baseball among others. Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber.

Wood carvings; Football players;

Four-year-old Suzy Jo, a student at the Hilltop Day Care Training Center for Mentally Retarded Children, has her eyes fixed on the bouncing ball while three adults kneel behind her in the University of Puget Sound Fieldhouse on January 15, 1969. Mel Jackson, associate director of the Hilltop Multi-Service Center, jubilantly holds aloft two fund raising tickets to the upcoming UPS-University of Alaska basketball game to be held on February 1, 1969, at the Fieldhouse. Next to Mr. Jackson are Al Roberts, UPS co-chairman of the upcoming charity event, and Mrs. Marguerite Cousins, director of the training center. Proceeds from the benefit match would go to the help students at the learning center. The following year would see the nationally-ranked cagers from UPS play California's University of Redlands, with ticket sales directed once more to the learning center. Photograph ordered by the Tacoma-Pierce County Opportunity & Development, Inc. (TNT 1-26-69, D-14, TNT 1-25-70, B-6)

Basketball--Tacoma--1960-1970; Balls (Sporting goods); Girls--Tacoma--1960-1970; Jackson, Mel; Roberts, Al; Cousins, Marguerite; Fund raising--Tacoma--1960-1970;

A small group of admiring young fans surround three junior hockey players in a February, 1953, photograph shot for King Feature Syndicate. The goalie and two other players sign autographs while standing near the large goal. Photograph ordered by Allen Goldfin.

Ice hockey--Tacoma; Ice hockey players--Tacoma; Ice skating rinks; Sports spectators;

Coverage of the annual football banquet for the youth leagues, ordered by the Cheney Lumber Company. In 1959, the banquet was held at Wellmans. Seated in the middle of the long row to the right and looking back over his shoulder at a youth is Ben Cheney. Cheney helped found the kids football program in the early fifties. Cheney poured money into the program enabling many youngsters to enjoy participating in the team sport.

Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Football--Tacoma--1950-1960; Football players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Awards; Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971;

Being met at home plate is young Tacoma Giants player Matty Alou in this April 16, 1960, Pacific Coast League opener between the Giants and the visiting Portland Beavers. One of three Alou brothers from the Dominican Republic who went on to play major league baseball, Matty Alou was the best hitter for average and probably the fastest. His 15-year major league career included lengthy stints with the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. He led the league in batting, .342, in 1966 as a Pittsburgh Pirate and would help Oakland to its first World Series championship in 1972. Centerfielder Alou was sent down just days before the season opened by the big league San Francisco Giants so that he could play regularly. Groomed as the successor to Willie Mays, this would help to keep his baseball skills sharp. (baseballlibrary.com) (Additional identification by a reader)

Baseball--Tacoma--1960-1970; Baseball players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Alou, Matty; Cheney Stadium (Tacoma);

All eyes are focused on the swinging batter during Tacoma's opening day of Pacific League baseball in brand new Cheney Stadium. The packed grandstands are filled with young and old, all eager to see the Tacoma Giants battle the visiting Portland Beavers in a doubleheader on April 16, 1960. Some spectators prefer to roam the non-bleacher area on the right, perhaps to get a better view, or to enjoy the bright skies on game day. Scheduled for April 14th, opening day had to be postponed due to a major spring storm which included 59 mph winds, lows of 37 degrees, and traces of snow. The Army was called in to set a napalm fire in the infield dirt and also used portable "Herman Nelson" heaters to help dry the turf. The Tacoma Giants lost the opening game 7-2 but won the nightcap 11-0 behind an 8-hit shutout by future Hall-of-Famer Juan Marichal. 6,612 fans watched the day game while the night crowd totaled 5,671. (TNT 4-16-60, p.1-article; TNT 4-17-60, A-1-article) TPL-9657

Baseball--Tacoma--1960-1970; Baseball players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Sports spectators--Tacoma; Grandstands--Tacoma--1960-1970; Cheney Stadium (Tacoma);

Night game at Cheney Stadium. Bases appear loaded with the hometown Giants leading 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Giants would go on to defeat the Vancouver Mounties 6-0 before 5000+ fans. Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber.

Cheney Stadium (Tacoma); Baseball--Tacoma--1960-1970; Baseball players--Tacoma--1960-1970;

These five young bowlers happily displayed their trophies in May of 1961. They were the Villa Bowl bantam team that won the Western Division Championship of the 16th National Team Mail-O-Graphic tournament held at the Villa Bowl in Lakewood. The boys went on to earn 124th place at nationals. Left to right are Bradley Clevinger, Evan MacKay, Sam Munro, Jerroll Theuer and Jim MacKay who are standing in front of the Villa Bowl, a 24-lane bowling alley, in Lakewood's Villa Plaza Shopping Center. Photograph ordered by Villa Bowl. (TNT 6-11-61, B-14)

Bowlers--Lakewood; Awards; Clevinger, Bradley; MacKay, Evan; Munro, Sam; Theuer, Jerroll; MacKay, Jim; Villa Bowl (Lakewood);

The Harold Stamey Insurance Agency sponsored several youth baseball teams in the 1950's. This group of boys played out of the South End Boys Club in the Metro Parks Junior League division in the summer of 1958. Standing with the players are Mr. and Mrs. Stamey and two other adults, Chris Matz and Dick Palamidessi, who were probably coaches. The striking note about this group picture is that three boys' pictures were cut and pasted into the group shot: Elvin La Coursiere and Gene Rasmussen on both ends of kneeling row and Tom Bishop, fourth from the right in the rear. The names of the Stamey Insurance team were listed at the bottom of the team photo: Front row (L-R): Elvin La Coursiere, Curtis Stamey, Dennis Waliter, Frank Hahn, Allen Burmester, Russ Fagering, Mike Endicott and Gene Rasmussen. Back row (L-R): Chris Matz, Dick Palamidessi, Chris Schmidt, Bob Gagnon, Darrell Matz, Tom Bishop, Bruce Nichols, Mrs. Harold Stamey, Harold Stamey. The Stamey team edged the East Side Boys Club 5-4 to wrap up the Junior South boys baseball title that summer. Pitchers Rasmussen and Nichols combined for a two-hitter. Photograph ordered by Harold Stamey. (TNT 8-1-58, p. 20)

Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baseball--Tacoma--1950-1960; Teenagers--1950-1960; Stamey Insurance, Inc. (Tacoma); Stamey, Harold; Stamey, Curtis;

This South End Boys Club baseball team was sponsored by Stamey Insurance. Mr. and Mrs. Stamey and two additional coaches, Chris Matz and Dick Palamidessi, posed with the players in the summer of 1958. They played in the Junior League of Metro Park's baseball program. This was believed to be the original group portrait; see C116559-1 for touched-up version when three boys, who were probably missing the day of the photograph, had their pictures cut and pasted into the group shot. From L-R in the front row: Curtis Stamey, Dennis Waltier, Frank Hahn, Allen Burmester, Russ Fagering and Mike Endicott. In the back row, L-R: Chris Matz, Dick Palamidessi, Chris Schmidt, Bob Gagnon, Darrell Matz, Bruce Nichols and Mr. and Mrs. Stamey. Photograph ordered by Harold Stamey.

Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baseball--Tacoma--1950-1960; Teenagers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stamey Insurance, Inc. (Tacoma); Stamey, Harold; Stamey, Curtis;

Ben Cheney's generosity permitted thousands of Tacoma youth to participate in sports including football, basketball and baseball. The local lumberman and philanthropist sponsored many teams under the name, Cheney Studs, and they were able to play at the facility named after Mr. Cheney, Cheney Field. View of two Cheney Studs Midget football players practicing the art of kicking while two coaches observe on November 1, 1958. These players are dressed in full uniform including the famous Cheney Studs logo on their jerseys. The Midget Studs met Lakewood at Clover Park High School for the league championship later that day. Both teams had a 4-0-1 record; the tie was with each other. Coincidentally, they tied again in the championship game at 6-6. They were scheduled to play again the following week but were declared co-champions with no additional playoffs. Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber Co. (TNT 10-24-58, D-3; TNT 11-7-58, p. 25)

Football--Tacoma--1950-1960; Football players--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Festivities continued at the 1963 Washington State Sports Hall of Fame sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission. Guests appear to be conversing quietly at the head table while two men stand at the podium. The man to the right is Jack Connor, octogenarian boxing manager and one of the five honored as inductees in the Tacoma-Pierce County Hall of Fame. Present during the February 6, 1963, awards banquet were Governor Albert D. Rosellini (seated with head bowed next to trophy), baseball star Maury Wills, Ben Cheney and William Gazecki, president of the Tacoma Athletic Commission. Comedian Joe E. Brown, principal speaker, is seated on the right side of the head table. (TNT 2-7-63, C-7)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Awards; Washington State Sports Hall of Fame (Tacoma); Rosellini, Albert D.; Wills, Maury; Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971; Gazecki, William; Connor, Jack;

Guest Maury Wills poses next to lumber magnate Ben Cheney (L) during the Tacoma Athletic Commission's Washington State Sports Hall of Fame awards gathering on February 6, 1963. Wills, a shortstop with the L.A. Dodgers, had broken Ty Cobb's record of 97 stolen bases in one season, with a grand total of 104, in 1962. He would be a major force in his fourteen years with the Dodgers, helping them to three World Series. Wills was named the 1962 Athlete of the Year by Associated Press sportswriters and would also be honored as the Washington State Athlete of the Year that evening. During the off-season, Wills made his home in Spokane. (TNT 2-3-63, B-7)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Awards; Washington State Sports Hall of Fame (Tacoma); Wills, Maury; Baseball players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971;

An appreciative crowd greets the speaker, master of ceremonies Clay Huntington, at the podium during the 1963 Washington State Sports Hall of Fame gathering on February 6, 1963. The event was filmed by KTNT-TV. The Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1960 by the Tacoma Athletic Commission's Clay Huntington, well known Northwest sportscaster and radio station owner. Those elected to membership in the Hall of Fame must be at least five years in retirement from the sport involved. Members are recognized for their outstanding sports accomplishments and contributions. The fourth State Sports Hall of Fame gathering combined the State and Tacoma-Pierce County Halls of Fame. (TNT 2-3-63, B-7) (www.washingtonsportshalloffame.com/index2.htm)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Washington State Sports Hall of Fame (Tacoma); Awards;

In this photograph from November, 1963, eight Cheney Studs Courteers demonstrate some of the sparkling personality and court wizardry that made them a popular half-time attraction at high school, AAU, and college basketball games throughout the Pacific Northwest. Founded by Ben Cheney, and sponsored by the Cheney Lumber Company, the Courteers performed a 9.5 minute routine that showcased coordinated ball handling and dribbling set to lively rock n' roll music. They appeared on national television during half-time of the January 25 & January 26, 1964, Lakers-Warriors basketball games. Kneeling from L-R are: Billy Herd, Pete Wonders and Eddie Herd. Standing: George Brown, Tom Rogers, Rickey Stewart, Denny Karna and Jeff Smith. The boys ranged in age from 11-15 and stood 4'5" - 4'11." Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber Co. (TNT 1-19-64, B-13)

Basketball--Tacoma--1960-1970; Basketball players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Balls (Sporting goods);