A man is captured in mid-dive onto a large trampoline during the Tacoma Athletic Commission's August, 1950, water carnival festivities. Phil Skiff and George Lewis of the Ski-Quatic Follies of Seattle demonstrated stunts on the trampoline. There were seventeen acts to entertain the large crowds gathered on Ruston Way.(TNT 8-25-50, p. 20, 8-27-50, p. B-10))

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Two water-skiers were just one of the acts that entertained the large crowd that gathered on Commencement Bay at the Tacoma Athletic Club's Water Carnival on August 26, 1950. Spectators watched the activities from both decks of the Top of the Ocean, 2217 Ruston Way. The Ski-Quatic Follies, Seattle, provided the entertainment which included diving, clown jumps, wake jumping and slalom skiing. (TNT 8-25-50, p. 20)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1950-1960; Celebrations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Water skiing--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Bill Hay, on the extreme right, gives pointers to local lawn bowlers during his trip to Tacoma on September 7, 1950. Hay is the president of the American Lawn Bowling Association. From left to right are Jim Dickson, Cy Mentzer, Louis Muscek, Roy Cleveland, Bill Dunckley, Lew Thomas and Hay. The lawn bowling green in Wright Park was built by the W.P.A., and play began there on May2, 1936. (TNT 9-10-50, p. C-14)

Bowling--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bowlers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Balls (Sporting goods);

The Tacoma Athletic Commission held a Hawaiian dinner-dance on October 2, 1950, at the Top of the Ocean for members and guests. Alfred Apaka, popular Hawaiian orchestra leader, and his band were the featured performers. T.A.C. members (L-R) Mrs. Jack S. Roberts, Mrs. Dillard Howell and Mrs. Howard R. Smith hold up a grass skirt and flower lei for the approval of (standing L-R) Mrs. James J. Mellinger, Mrs. L.R. Ghilarducci, Mrs. Joseph Lehman and Mrs. Frederick A. Haines, Jr. (TNT 10-1-50, p. D-6)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1950-1960; Costumes;

Bedecked with Hawaiian leis, entertainer Alfred Apaka and members of the Tacoma Athletic Commission enjoy an evening at the Top of the Ocean. Mr. Apaka, shown here in white shirt and cloth lei, was asked to bring his orchestra to Tacoma to perform at the T.A.C. Hawaiian dinner-dance in October, 1950. Smiling for the camera are J.J. Petrich (in background); others seated are Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wannberg, Mr. Apaka, Elsie Pitzen. Standing are Mr. and Mrs. Howard Lichtenwalter. (TNT 10-8-50, p. D-8)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1950-1960; Apaka, Alfred; Top of the Ocean (Tacoma);

Peeking through the woven bamboo setting are Tacoma Athletic Commission members (kneeling) Salem Nourse and L.B. MacDonald. Standing are Margaret (Mrs. Salem) Nourse and Myra and E.R. Fetterolf. They were part of a large gathering that attended the T.A.C. Hawaiian dinner-dance held at the Top of the Ocean on October 2, 1950. Alfred Apaka, celebrated Hawaiian orchestra leader, and his band entertained. (TNT 10-15-50, p. D-4)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1950-1960; Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Nourse, Salem; MacDonald, L.B.; Nourse, Margaret; Fetterolf, Myra J.; Fetterolf, E.R.;

People who attended the Halloween Party sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission at the Top of the Ocean enjoyed the entertainment as well as the company. Ordered by Will Maylon.

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Dinner parties--Tacoma--1950-1960; Halloween--Social life;

A woman contortionist performed on the dance floor with her legs elevated on two tables on either side of her body in a split formation . Her body is lower than her feet. Groups of people who are seated at tables around dance floor applaud her performance during the Halloween party sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission at the Top of the Ocean. Ordered by Will Maylon.

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Dinner parties--Tacoma--1950-1960; Halloween--Social life; Stunt performers--Tacoma; Entertainers--Tacoma;

Three men hold ukeleles with heads stuck on top of the necks while they sing in front of a microphone at the Halloween party sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission at the Top of the Ocean. A man in the background is playing a white piano while the crowd looks on. Ordered by Will Maylon.

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Dinner parties--Tacoma--1950-1960; Halloween--Social life; Entertainers--Tacoma; Pianos; Ukeleles;

A woman acrobat provided part of the evenings entertainment at the Halloween party sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission on October 30, 1950. In this photograph she is balancing on the platform at the top of a small step-platform with her toes pointed straight up at the ceiling. The acrobate is probably Patsy Jean Smith, who studied acrobatics at the Barclay School in Seattle. Mr. Barclay also taught at the Lewis Harter Studios, 945 1/2 Broadway in Tacoma. The Athletic Commission Halloween party was held at the Top of the Ocean. (T. Times 10-06-1948 p.5) Ordered by Will Maylon.

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Dinner parties--Tacoma--1950-1960; Halloween--Social life; Stunt performers--Tacoma; Entertainers--Tacoma;

People enjoyed the floorshow at the Halloween Party sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission at the Top of the Ocean. A group are seen here wearing party hats and holding party favors. Ordered by Will Maylon.

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Dinner parties--Tacoma--1950-1960; Halloween--Social life;

Awarding sweaters for High School All-Star Football Team. The young man in the middle with the light-colored sweater is wearing one of the All-Star Team sweaters. Ordered by Llewellyn Advertising Agency, Mr. Van Meter. TPL-9114

Football players--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Awarding sweaters to high school allstar football team on November 29, 1950. Football players and families listening to speaker. Presentation at Pontiac automobile dealership.

Awards; Football--1950-1960; Football players--1950-1960; Automobile dealerships--1950-1960;

Awarding sweaters to high school allstar football team. Portrait of allstar football players standing in front of PonTiac sign in automobile dealership.

Awards; Football--1950-1960; Football players--1950-1960; Automobile dealerships--1950-1960;

Diane Dapper invited her friends for a skating party at Lakewood for her 10th birthday party. Diane is 9th from the left in a white skating outfit. She was the daughter of Mathias J. and Adah H. Dapper. Fourteen girls, all friends at Annie Wright Seminary, pose by the barrier at the Lakewood Ice Arena wearing various skating outfits. A snowy mountain scene made of plywood is seen above them. (TNT, 12/11/1950, p.4)

Ice skating--Tacoma; Ice skating rinks--Lakewood; Winter sports--Tacoma; Skaters; Lakewood Ice Arena (Lakewood); Dapper, Diane; Birthday parties--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Studio portrait of Joe Bowles, 325 Supply Squadron, AI 15432518, McChord Field. The young airman stopped by the Richards Studio on December 23, 1950 to have his photograph taken while in dress uniform.

Bowles, Joe; Military personnel--1950-1960; Military uniforms;

Lee Croft, left, and Harold Bird, right, strap on the boxing gloves as Honorary Referees for the Tacoma Athletic Commission's Golden Gloves Tournament, Feb. 8-9, at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. The two long time buddies remained friends despite Bird's defeat of Croft in the 1950 Sheriff election. They had much in common, having both been professional boxers in their younger days. Croft, a promising young heavyweight in the early 1900's, was persuaded by his aristocratic family to trade in boxing for a grand tour of Europe, including English ancestral lands. His last professional bout was in 1910, although he maintained an interest in boxing and served as an official Board Member for the Tacoma Boys Club. He and Bird became friends in 1917, during WW I, when Bird was stationed here and boxed professionally as a light and welterweight. Bird eventually married a Tacoma girl and settled here. Croft became the proprietor of a local hotel and Bird became owner of Lumber Retail, a lumber and building supplies business, at 2301 South Tacoma Way before they branched off into civic duties. (TNT 1-28-1951, pg. B-10)

Boxing--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Croft, Lee; Bird, Harold;

The Tacoma Athletic Commission dance committee sips tea and discusses upcoming plans for the 5th annual TAC Birthday Celebration to be held 2/19/1951. The committee is meeting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard R. Smith, co-chairmen. Pictured (left to right) are Mrs. Edwin Johnson, Jeanette B. (Mrs. William I.) Shaw, Ruth M. (Mrs. J. Robert) Brooke, Edith V. (Mrs. Harold) Tollefson, and Ethyl (Mrs. Howard R.) Smith. The party was planned to start with 6:30 p.m. cocktail service in the TAC lounge on the upper deck of the Top of the Ocean, followed by a buffet dinner at 7:30 p.m., and a vaudeville show and dancing to top off the evening from 9 p.m. to midnight. Also included was the presentation of the "Sportsman of the Year" award to Jim McCarthy, Clover Park High School student and National Junior Medal Play Golf Champion the previous summer. (TNT 2/11/1951, pg. D-6)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Committees--Tacoma--1950-1960; Johnson, Edwin--Family; Shaw, Jeanette; Brooke, Ruth; Tollefson, Edith; Smith, Ethyl A.; Smith, Howard R.--Homes & haunts;

Exposure of amateur boxing brothers Pat and Mike McMurtry and their family for the Tacoma Athletic Commission boxing awards at the Top of the Ocean. A "no host" dinner was given March 16, 1951 to honor local amateur boxing stars Pat and Mike McMurtry. It was sponsored by TAC which had placed Pat's name on its Hall of Fame plaque in the Club's lounge. Pat won the Northwest Golden Gloves Golden Boy 1951 award as well as the light heavyweight title of that classic in Seattle. He was the winner of the 1951 Tacoma Golden Gloves crown for that division, as well as the Western Canada Diamond Belt Championship in Vancouver, B.C. Mike, the younger brother of Pat, won the Oregon state heavyweight title and the Western Canada Diamond Belt crown. Between them, the brothers scored five title victories during the last Northwest amateur season- a Tacoma record. Burt McMurtrie, newscaster and long time booster of the brothers, was the master of ceremonies. (TNT 3/16/1951, pg. 26)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); McMurtry, Pat; Boxing--Tacoma--1950-1960; Boxers (Sports)--Tacoma--1950-1960; McMurtry, Mike;

The Market Bowlers won the "Champions of Champions" tournament at the Elks alleys. Eighty-six teams who had won either first or second half titles competed in the Third Annual Tacoma Bowling Association Tournament. Seen holding the tournament trophy are, L-R, Paul Flani, Nat Flani, Don Bryant, F.M. Durst, Martin Ward, Fred Wilvers and Carl Hoit. Five smaller trophies stand on a table in front of them. (TNT, 4/29/1951, p.C-17)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Awards; Group portraits;Flani, Paul; Flani, Nat; Bryant, Don; Burst, F.M.; Ward, Martin; Wilvers, Fred; Hoit, Carl;

Ray Kanzler and one of the bowling teams posed for this studio portrait during the 1951 leagues.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bowling balls;

On May 1, 1951, to mark the opening of the summer season at the Fircrest Golf Club, 1000 Regents Blvd., the club's women came dressed in costume. Four of the weird, wonderful and well dressed women seen at the links were: (l to r) Mary E. (Mrs. Frank H.) Murray, as a jailbird; Laura E. (Mrs. Roy L.) McGinn, pioneer woman; Freida (Mrs. Ben) Rome, Hindu; and Louise (Mrs. Frank) Severson, as Daniel Boone. First prize for best costume went to Mrs. M.C. Thompson who came dressed as a Fiji islander, complete with grass skirt. (Ordered by the Tribune.) (TNT, 6/6/1951, p.D-1)

Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Murray, Mary E.; McGinn, Laura E.; Rome, Freida; Severson, Louise; Costumes

A crouching umpire, waiting catcher and focused batter #12 appear in this June, 1951 tableau. The batter may have made contact with the ball with a powerful swing as the ball is not in the photograph. The unidentified batter in pinstripes was a member of the Cheney Studs.

Baseball players--1950-1960; Baseball--1950-1960; Baseball umpires;

Group pictures of the Richards sponsored baseball team were taken on August 6, 1951. The twelve member team looks ready to play; the boys seated in the first row are all grasping bats or gloves while a pile of equipment including shin guards and a catchers mask are placed before them.

Baseball--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sporting goods; Group portraits--1950-1960; Boys--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Senior captain Gordon Smith prepares to lead his Bellarmine Lions football team into battle in the 9th annual Tacoma Athletic Commission sponsored Grid-Go-Round on September 14, 1951. Four Tacoma area teams-- Bellarmine, Clover Park, Lincoln and Stadium are scheduled to compete at Lincoln Bowl. Smith, at 180 pounds, plays at both the fullback and end positions. Photograph ordered by Hugh Fotheringill, Tacoma Athletic Commission. (TNT 9-9-51, p. C-12)

Smith, Gordon; Football players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grid-Go-Round (Tacoma); Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Bellarmine High School (Tacoma);

Clover Park High School's Sherrill Stevens posed for a photograph with helmet in hand on August 29, 1951. Stevens, a 180 pound halfback, was preparing to play in the 9th annual Grid-Go-Round sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission on September 14. The captain led his Puget Sound Conference Warriors to a third place win as he scored his team's only touchdown in a 6-0 victory against the Bellarmine Lions. The Grid-Go-Round championship was won by the Stadium Tigers 6-0 over the Lincoln "Railsplitters". Photograph commissioned by Hugh Fotheringill, Tacoma Athletic Commission. (TNT 9-9-51, C-12, TNT 9-15-51, p. 8)

Stevens, Sherrill; Football players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grid-Go-Round (Tacoma); Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Clover Park High School (Lakewood);

Captain Everett Gust led his Stadium Tigers football team to victory in the 9th annual Grid-Go-Round sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission. The football game on September 14, 1951, featured four Tacoma area football teams: Stadium, Clover Park, Lincoln and Bellarmine. Gust, a fullback, recovered a Lincoln fumble in the title match, which eventually led to the final score of 6-0. Coach Bob Levinson's Tigers were able to defend their Grid-Go-Round title and hoped to also defend their city league championship. Photograph ordered by Hugh Fotheringill, Tacoma Athletic Commission. (TNT 9-9-51, C-12, TNT 9-15-51, p. 8)

Gust, Everett; Football players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grid-Go-Round (Tacoma); Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Stadium High School (Tacoma);

Aspiring hockey stars Jack Stewart, Mike Johnson and Mike Shork all manage to fit in the goal as they prepare for an Under 12 peewee league game in November, 1951. The boys would be on the ice between the first and second periods of the Tacoma Rockets-New Westminster Royals match sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission. Dave Tuell, T.A.C. president and Joey Johns, commissioner of the junior league, flank the young players. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Athletic Commission. (TNT 11-11-51, p. B-14) TPL-7194

Ice hockey--Tacoma; Ice hockey players--Tacoma; Sporting goods; Ice skating rinks--Tacoma; Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Stewart, Jack; Johnson, Mike; Shork, Mike; Tuell, Dave; Johns, Joey;

Boxing has been called the "sweet science". In this photograph from January, 1936, a group of unidentified young men from Tacoma watch intently as Morgan Jones conducts a class at the Tacoma Y.M.C.A. on the correct technique for working a punching bag. Mr. Jones has his initials embroidered on his silk boxing trunks. (T. Times).

Boxing; Boxers (Sports)--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Mens Christian Association (Tacoma); Jones, Morgan;

The formal dedication of Tacoma's baseball park as Cheney Field took place August 18, 1952. For the occasion, Ben Cheney, who purchased the park from the San Diego Padres, flew the Medford Cheney Studs north from Oregon for an exhibition game with the Fort Lewis Brewers, second-half champions of the Tacoma City League. The Brewers were pictured on the edge of the ball field wearing "Olds Pilsner" uniforms. The Brewers handed Cheney's Medford team an 8-1 defeat. (TNT, 8/23/1952, p.24 & 8/30/1952, p.18) Format 7" x 11"

Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Athletic fields--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baseball--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cheney Field (Tacoma);