STILL MAKING GOLF HISTORY AT AGE 85

The year was 1937 and unknown to all involved, golfing history was being made in America.

It was 65 years ago that Wilberforce University, the nation's oldest private historically black university, and Ohio Northern University teed it up in a golf match. It was not just because they had each formed golf teams for the first time in their school's history that made this match so significant. But more than that, it was the first time in our country's history that an historically black college had competed against a white institution in the sport of golf.

William Powell, now 85 years old was one of the members of that Wilberforce team. A rematch commemorating that Historic Golf Match between two current golf teams will take place on Saturday, April 13, 2002 at the Historic Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio.

William and his older brother, Berry; Howard Broadus of Steubenville, Ohio and Earl Galloway of Woodbury, New Jersey were the four players making up the four-man Wilberforce team. Today, William is the only remaining member of that team.

Joseph Mallone, now 86 and a retired judge from Geneva, Ohio is the only living member of that first Ohio Northern team. His other team members were Mr. Schultz; Neiswander and Small.

Both Mr. Mallone and Mr. Powell will serve as honorary co-chairs for this event and will hit the first ceremonial shots to lead off the event. The ceremonial golf balls will be presented to each university President at the conclusion of play.

William Powell is the only African American to design, build, own, and operate a golf course anywhere in the world. Due to the color of his skin very few golf courses would welcome him in his home country after he returned home from England following WWII, so he decided to fight prejudices of racism by building a golf course to welcome all people, regardless of the nationality, race, or color of their skin.

In 2002, Clearview was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of the Interior. Also, in 2002, the Clearview Legacy Foundation for education, preservation and research, a 501c3 charitable foundation was formed. The foundation was established to achieve three primary goals. First, the education of individuals in the skills of the game of golf, with an emphasis on minorities, women, and youth. Second, for the preservation of the history recording the contributions of minorities to the many facets of the game of golf and the golf industry. Third, to serve as a research resource and laboratory for the study of agronomy generally and turfgrass specifically.

To learn more about William Powell, the Historic Clearview Golf Club, the history making rematch or to simply make a donation to The Clearview Legacy Foundation, contact the club at 330-488-0404.