New bowling alley at White Center, Jack Vasso. A view of the interior of the newly completed White Center Bowl showing ten lanes, the scoring stations, player and visitor seating, and ball returns. The barrel ceiling is lit along the beams for a stripped effect.

White Center Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Barrel ceilings--Seattle; Lighting--Seattle; Bowling balls;

The second Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament was sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission and was held at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. Winners of the various titles received sports jackets with the T.A.C. Golden Gloves emblem and the runners-up were awarded gold miniature boxing gloves. The "Golden Boy" was awarded a wrist watch. Ordered by Mr. Metcalf. (TNT, 1/27, 1950, p.1)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Boxers (Sports)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Second Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Tournament, sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission, was held January 26th and 27th, 1950 at the College of Puget Sound fieldhouse. Several thousand boxing fans were treated to an action-laden program of bouts. The winner in each division received a sports jacket emblazoned with the T.A.C. Golden Gloves emblem. The names of the division champions were listed in the News Tribune. (TNT, 1/29/1950, p.B-6)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Boxers (Sports)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma Baseball Club. The Tacoma Tigers opened their 1950 Western International title bid April 19, 1950, against the Salem Legislators. Catcher Bill Sheets, joining when the team came home to Tacoma, would be the number one catcher with Redwood Fischer as his understudy. The outfield was expected to be better than all right with George Nichols in center, Dick Wenner in left, with Dick Greco in right. (TNT, 4/19/1950, p.20) TPL-4744

Tacoma Tigers (Tacoma); Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tiger Ball Park (Tacoma); Baseball--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma Baseball Club. The Tacoma Tigers opened their exhibition season in Bakersfield, California, in early April 1950. The Tigers opened in Tacoma April 26, 1950. Dave Nadeau served as auditor for the team that year with James Benson Brillheart as manager of the club. Frank Gillihan was the business manager. (TNT, 4/26/1950, p.18) TPL-4746

Tacoma Tigers (Tacoma); Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tiger Ball Park (Tacoma); Baseball--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Dinner party honoring Alexander Baillie at Tacoma Country & Golf Club, Tribune, E. Knight. Alexander Baillie was one of the founders of the Tacoma Country & Golf Club in 1894 and was the club's first president. He is seen in the upper left corner next to Reno Odlin, then president of Puget Sound National Bank, holding a microphone as part of his toastmaster duties. The banquet held in his honor was expected to draw more than 150 guests.

Tacoma Country & Golf Club (Tacoma); Country clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Baillie, Alexander, 1859-1949; Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979; Banquets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A view of the interior of the West Seattle Bowl facilities featuring the players seating areas with tables for keeping score and overhead projectors for the score totals. Two rows of spectator seating are provided. The curved laminated beams that support the arched roof are shown with the supporting braces where the beams join the floor.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950;

Lincoln High School and Stadium High School were playing their annual Thanksgiving Day football game at Stadium Bowl in 1948. More than 16,000 fans attended the game and cheered on their favorite school. View of half time performances; the Stadium High School drum majorettes are performing with the marching band, watched by thousands packed into the bleachers. (T. Times, 11/26/48, p. 1).

Football--Tacoma--1940-1950; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Marching percussion--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Drum majorettes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma);

Tacoma's semi-pro Coast Ice Hockey League team, the Tacoma Rockets, were returning from a series of five games, all of which they won. They were the first team in club history to win five straight. The Rockets had an upcoming game against the Vancouver Canucks at the Tacoma State Armory. View of Tacoma Rockets at Union Depot, names appear in newspaper (T. Times, 11/19/48, p. 15). Founded in 1946, the Rockets ceased operations in 1953.

Ice hockey--Tacoma; Athletes--Tacoma; Luggage; Travel--Tacoma; Coast Ice Hockey League (Tacoma); Tacoma Rockets (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Bob Johnson is the new manager of the Western International League's Tacoma Tigers. Bob is very familiar with the Tigers and Tacoma, he spent most of his childhood in Tacoma. Bob Johnson has been playing baseball for twenty years, he has a lot of experience in the major league competitions, and is known as a right handed power-house. Johnson anticipates a great baseball season for Tacoma (T. Times, 1/3/49, p. 9).

Baseball--Tacoma--1940-1950; Baseball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Coaching (Athletics)--Tacoma; Uniforms; Hats--1940-1950; Tacoma Tigers (Tacoma); Johnson, Bob;

Eight players from the four high schools in the Tacoma High School Hockey League and their coaches posed for a News Tribune photographer in January of 1949. The league, which played at the Tacoma Ice Palace, 3801 So. Union Avenue, was just starting its second season. The players were: (l to r) Bob Jack and Jim Beaty of Lincoln; Gordon Earley and Don Gilbertson of Clover Park; Bob Moore and Carl Peterson of Stadium; and Don McNally and Joe Hamilton of Bellarmine. The coaches (kneeling, l to r)were: Alex Watt, Doug Stevenson, Dick Milford and Ronnie Rowe, all members of the professional Tacoma Rockets team. The first night of action, on January the 13th, paired Stadium and Clover Park at 7 p.m. and Lincoln against Bellarmine at 8:20 p.m.(T.N.T. 1/9/49, p. B-7).

Ice hockey--Tacoma; Sporting goods; Ice skating rinks--Tacoma; Athletes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Tacoma Rockets (Tacoma); Tacoma Ice Palace (Tacoma);

Tacoma Tigers, Tacoma Baseball Club, Enoch Alexson. A group portrait of the 1949 team at Tiger Ball Park.

Tacoma Tigers (Tacoma); Baseball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tiger Ball Park (Tacoma); Baseball--Tacoma--1940-1950;

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;

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;

In August of 1950 a very agile man performs acrobatic stunts during the Tacoma Athletic Commission's 4th annual water carnival held on Ruston Way. The water events were performed on Commencement Bay directly bayward of the TAC headquarters at 2217 Ruston Way in the Top of the Ocean cafe. The performers were provided by Ski-Quatic Follies from Seattle. The man on the trapeze could be Giff Owen. (TNT 8-25-50, p. 20)

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;

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.;

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;

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);

University of Washington quarterback extraordinaire Sonny Sixkiller visited Tacoma Athletic Commission headquarters, 735 Commerce St., on December 3, 1970. The T.A.C. official standing next to Mr. Sixkiller has not been identified. A sophomore from Ashland, Oregon, Mr. Sixkiller was a full blooded Cherokee. Never highly recruited by Oregon schools because of his (then) size, Mr. Sixkiller would finish his season as the country's #1 passer. His teammates, Rank Baty, Ace Bulger and Rick Huget (pictured in D159368, image 8) accompanied him to Tacoma. The UW rebounded from a dismal 1-9 record the year before to finish at 6-4, including a crushing 61-20 defeat of the UCLA Bruins. Mr. Sixkiller's passing became the Dawgs' chief offensive weapon. Photograph ordered by the Tacoma Athletic Commission. (TNT 12-8-70, p. 16 - article)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Sixkiller, Sonny;

Baseball clinic. This is believed to be Tacoma Twins catcher Glenn Borgmann who certainly has the attention of his "class," as he demonstrates proper catching techniques. One youngster to the left has his hand out apparently imitating the pro player. This was just a small section of more than 1200 young athletes who visited Cheney Stadium for a two-hour baseball clinic on May 20, 1972, sponsored by the Tacoma Twins and Carling Brewery. The club urged that those attending bring gloves, spikes, and even wear their Little League uniforms if they chose to do so. This was the Tacoma Twins' first year in Tacoma. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Twins. (TNT 5-17-72, C-16 -article; TNT 5-212-72, D-1) TPL-10073

Baseball--Tacoma--1970-1980; Baseball players--Tacoma--1970-1980; Cheney Stadium (Tacoma);

These six unidentified golfers were just a fraction of the participants in the Northwest Pro-Presidents golf tournament held at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club on April 28, 1972. Western Washington golf professionals and club presidents teed off in twosomes at the one-day tournament. In 1972 the Northwest Pro-Presidents golf tournament was subdivided into three parts; each of the three branches of the northwest section of the PGA would have its own tournament. Host pro Gerry Mehlert had the best round of the day -69. Color photograph ordered by Gerry Mehlert. (TNT 4-27-72, C-11 -article; TNT 4-29-72, p. 10- article)

Golf--Tacoma--1970-1980; Golfers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Country & Golf Club (Tacoma)--1970-1980;

46 twosomes teed off at the Northwest Pro-Presidents golf tournament held at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club on April 28, 1972. The participants for the one-day tournament were drawn from Western Washington professionals and club presidents. Bob Lundgaard, president of the Olympia Country Club and pro Rick Adell combined for a winning score of 10-under par. Color photograph ordered by Gerry Mehlert. (TNT 4-27-72, C-11- article; TNT 4-29-72, p. 10- article)

Golf--Tacoma--1970-1980; Golfers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Country & Golf Club (Tacoma)--1970-1980;

Ten boys wear the uniforms marking them as "Cheney Studs" as they pose in the Wilson High School gym on February 22, 1969. The beaming man standing next to the team is presumably their coach. Thanks to Ben Cheney's generosity, thousands of area youngsters were able to participate in amateur team sports. Color photograph ordered by the Cheney Lumber Co.

Basketball players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Uniforms;

Ben Cheney's philanthropic endeavers in amateur sport extended beyond Tacoma as he also sponsored teams outside the local community. This baseball team of Cheney Studs was labeled the "Connie Mack" team and believed to be based in King County. Players 16-18 would be able to participate in league play. Cloy Sykes of Kent was listed as the coach. The team was photographed in July of 1969 at Moshier Field near Sea-Tac. Color photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber Co.

Baseball players--Washington; Baseball--Washington;

Professional quarterback Joe Willie Namath made a February, 1969, stop at the Stanley Shoe store soon after leading the New York Jets to victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. The Jets were the first American Football league team to defeat their National League counterpart in the Super Bowl. "Broadway Joe" was in town as the featured guest of the 10th annual Washington State Sports Hall of Fame gathering on February 17, 1969. The sold-out event was held at the newly completed Tacoma Mall Theatre where celebrities Namath, San Diego Chargers quarterback John Hadl, actor Hugh O'Brian, Oregon State coach Dee Andros and Olympic swimmer Kaye Hall mingled with hundreds of admirers and autograph seekers. Examining the construction of the dress shoe is believed to be John Hadl, San Diego Chargers and former Kansas collegiate star, who was also invited to the Tacoma Athletic Commission-sponsored event. Mr. Hadl would eventually spend 16 years in the NFL, most of them with San Diego, and be elected to the Pro Bowl six times. Also pictured in discussion with the football stars is Joe Macaluso of Stanley Shoes. ALBUM 9. (TNT 2-17-69, p. 10, 2-18-69, p. 1, 14) TPL-8708

Namath, Joe; Football players--New York; Macaluso, Joe; Shoes;

A newly grown-in Fu Manchu mustache in place in February, 1969, professional quarterback Joe Willie Namath seems to be in earnest discussion with Joe Macaluso over which shoes to purchase at a Stanley's Shoe store soon after leading the New York Jets to Super Bowl victory. The Jets upset the National League's Baltimore Colts 16-7 and were the first American Football League team victors in this annual clash. Namath and actor Hugh O'Brian were the featured guests at the Washington State Sports Hall of Fame show sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission held on February 17, 1969. Holding a dress shoe is believed to be San Diego Chargers quarterback John Hadl, right, who also was a guest at the T.A.C. function. ALBUM 9.

Namath, Joe; Football players--New York; Macaluso, Joe; Shoes;

Thanks to the generosity of lumber magnate Ben Cheney, thousands of local youth were able to participate in group sports. The football team above, composed of 12-year-olds, was just one of the many outfitted by Mr. Cheney's sponsorship. Spaulding helmets, bright red jerseys, and white pants, were issued to team members. The two men in the October 26, 1969, group portrait were probably the team's coaches. Color photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber Co.

Football players--Tacoma--1960-1970; Football--Tacoma--1960-1970; Footballs; Uniforms; Helmets;

Cheney Studs. Group portrait of the Cheney Studs, Pee Wee division, taken at the South End Boys Club on November 8, 1970. Sponsored by lumberman Ben Cheney, these 12-year-olds are dressed to play - complete with numbered uniforms and helmets. Standing with the boys are their coaches, including F. Jenkins. Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber.

Football--Tacoma--1970-1980; Football players--Tacoma--1970-1980; Uniforms;

These beaming teenagers and their coaches were believed to have represented Ben Cheney's Cheney Studs team in the Tacoma Connie Mack League in 1967. The boys, all dressed identically in pinstripe uniforms and caps bearing the Cheney Studs logo, were thought to have been photographed at Heidelberg Park in Tacoma in July of 1967. They had an outstanding 10-2 record that year but failed to obtain entry into the State Connie Mack tourney due to an August loss to North Shore of Seattle, eventual Washington State champs. (TNT 8-2-1967, B-8-article on game)

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