South Broadway Athletic Club: St. Louis's Home for Boxing, Wrestling, and Cheap Beer Since 1899

In 1899, five men gathered at a home in South St. Louis and formed the South Broadway Athletic Club. They held their first official boxing match shortly after, during which SBAC founder Herman "Kid" Kempf stopped Buddy Morgan of the Newsboy Home in two rounds. It was an era when athletic clubs formed all over the country as organized boxing and wrestling became more popular. The men of the SBAC quickly became fierce competitors, producing some of the city's best boxing talent and dominating local competitions. The SBAC sent freestyle wrestlers from its ranks to the 1904 Olympics, where two of its athletes brought home bronze medals. The club has been a cornerstone of the Soulard neighborhood ever since. First located at 611 Geyer Avenue, they moved to the current location at 2301 South Seventh Street in 1914 and bought the building in 1923. By 1949, the club had 400 members and a boxing program to be envied. It was no accident, wrote Globe-Democrat sports editor Robert L. Burns, that the "blue-trunked boys" of the SBAC had won more Golden Gloves team titles than any other organization. Social intercourse also has always been an important part of the club, as it hosted dances, fish frys, fishing tournaments, Big Band concerts, and Christmas parties for underprivileged children. The club became a gathering place for generations of families and friends. The years since have had days of glory and, more recently, times of great concern. As the 2000s began, falling membership and financial woes threatened to see the SBAC's doors closed for good. But with the hard work of its existing members, along with help from new members, the club again thrives. The history and images in this book tell the stories of everyday life in St. Louis. From the end of the 19th century into the 21st, the club has had 125 years of history with future chapters still to be written.