Tommy Gibbons, the former heavyweight title contender from St. Paul, Minnesota who went 15 rounds with Jack Dempsey on July 4, 1923, visited the Tacoma Boys Club in April of 1947. He spent some time with the boys giving them boxing tips and signing boxing gloves. Gibbons, the 13-year Sheriff of Ramsey County, Minnesota, had long been interested in boys club activity. He had stopped in Tacoma on his way home from touring the West Coast. He was trying to sway the 1951 American Bowling Congress to St. Paul, Minnesota. The boys in the photograph were not identified in the newspaper articles. (T.Times, 4-30-47, p. 13-article; T. Times, 5/1/47, p. 18-article on visit to Tacoma).

Sports & recreation facilities--Tacoma; Children--Clubs--Tacoma; Publicity photographs; Tacoma Boys' Club (Tacoma); Boxing--Tacoma; Gibbons, Tommy;

Tommy Gibbons is back in the ring, only this time he is giving the boys at the Tacoma Boys Club boxing tips. Gibbons is now the Sheriff of Ramsey County, Minnesota and is very active in aiding to prevent juvenile delinquency. Tommy's stop in Tacoma was one of many throughout the West Coast, he was campaigning to get support for the 1951 National Bowling Congress (T. Times, 5/1/47, p. 18).

Sports & recreation facilities--Tacoma; Children--Clubs--Tacoma; Publicity photographs; Tacoma Boys' Club (Tacoma); Boxing--Tacoma; Gibbons, Tommy;

The Tacoma Boys' Club Rovers were the winners of the first annual Boys' Club basketball tournament hosted by Tacoma in April of 1949. Boys' Club teams from Ballard, Bellingham, Everett, Spokane and Tacoma faced off against each other in the two-day meet. The Rovers defeated Bellingham 62 to 47 in the tournament finals. Center Jerry Harding led the scoring for the Rovers with 17 points. Back row, (l to r): Joe Karpach, Ray Boen, Director E. S. Ostberg, Charles Miller, Benny Barker, and Manager Jerry Mulscher. Front row, (l to r): Larry Olson, Jerry Harding, Team Captain Johnny Bartenetti, Dick Schermerhorn, and Joe Seaberger (T.N.T., 4/13/49, p. 28).

Sports & recreation facilities--Tacoma; Organizations' facilities--Tacoma; Basketball--Tacoma; Basketball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Children--Clubs--Tacoma; Tacoma Boys' Club (Tacoma);

Basketball players at Boys Club, Moose Club. One of the boys on the team sits on a step ladder near the basket to tip the ball in. His teammates stand around below while the coach is ready to knock it back if it fails to go through. The Moose Club provided not only financial support but also personal time with the boys at the Boys Club.

Sports & recreation facilities--Tacoma; Basketball--Tacoma; Basketball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Loyal Order of Moose, Tacoma Lodge 435 (Tacoma); Children--Clubs--Tacoma; Tacoma Boys' Club (Tacoma); Boys--Tacoma--1940-1950;