He must have been pretty good because his daughter was a pro and also one the first seven women to become a member of St. Without access to traditional golf maintenance. This was long before Jackie Robinson famously broke the color line in baseball. In 1946, he established Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio. Powell was a golfer and World War II veteran who was not allowed to play on many US courses at the time, so he built and opened his own course at Clearview in 1948. You won't find the story in school history books but Mr. The PGA museum has a permanent exhibit as well. In 2017 it is especially timely as the USGA museum is featuring a year-long exhibit on Clearview and the Powell family. If you do not golf, there is not much to do except read the Ohio Historical marker on the course and the Department of the Interior plaque on the clubhouse door, but it is still a significant site to see. Tommie Williams hits his tee shot on the first hole as Jessie Brooks watches at Clearview Golf Club on Jin East Canton, Ohio. The course was added to the National Register of Historic Places by. Tommie Williams has his picture taken with Bill Powell by Jessie Brooks at Clearview Golf Club on Jin East Canton, Ohio. That is why it is important to visit the Clearview Golf Course National Historic Site and learn the extraordinary story of William Powell and his family. Owner and operator of Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio which was. That is why I was somewhat shocked when my career brought me here and I discovered prejudice has been and is as big a problem in the Buckeye state as anywhere else in the land. Bill and Marcella’s three children, William, Renee (the second African-American to play the LPGA Tour) and served as Clearview’s club pro, and Lawrence (who served as course superintendent), and all contributed to the course and securing their father’s legacy as a true pioneer in the golf community.Ever since i was a kid I was fascinated by the history of Ohio abolitionists and the underground railroad as well as the many historic contributions made by residents of darker skin tone. ![]() Marcella shared his passion and vision for Clearview serving as Clearview’s office manager until her death in 1996. In 1998, the Tiger Woods Foundation established two scholarships in the names of William and Marcella Powell, Bill’s wife of 56 years. That same year, Bill was awarded the “Cornerstone of Freedom Award” from the Dr. In 1992, the National Golf Foundation selected the Powell family to receive “The Jack Nicklaus Golf Family of the Year Award”. Over the years, Bill has received countless honors and awards recognizing a lifetime of remarkable achievements. Founded in 1946, Clearview Golf Course is a historic course that holds a special place in golfing history. Renee's work extends throughout her community as a member of several boards including the Pro Football. Today, Renee is the LPGA/PGA Head Golf Professional at Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio where she's keeping her father’s legacy of Golf for Everyone alive. to be designed, built, owned and operated by an African-American, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She has also commentated numerous golf tournaments on both CBS and ABC. Today, Clearview Golf Club remains the only golf course in the U.S. A second nine would be added 30 years later, in 1978. Working from sun-up until it was time for his eight hour shift as a watchman at a local factory, it took William two years to complete the first nine. So in 1946, with the help of two black doctors as partners, and his brother, who mortgaged his house, Bill purchased a dilapidated 78 acre dairy farm. He captained the Minerva High School golf team, and in 1937, he and his older brother Berry formed Wilberforce University’s first golf team, serving as co-captains.īill was widely regarded as the best player in the area, but upon return from the service he discovered he was not welcome at just one area golf course. By the time he was 12, he spent all his spare time on the practice fairway, driving balls and analyzing their flight. ![]() She is a lifetime member of the LPGA Tour and a Class A member of the Teaching & Club Professionals Division. Renee is also rated by Golf Digest as one of the Best Teachers in Ohio. ![]() ![]() P., as he was known to his friends, grew up in Minerva, Ohio and was introduced to the game of golf at the age of nine when he started caddying at the Edgewater Golf Club. Golf instruction at Clearview is provided by one of the Top 50 Women Instructors in the Country by Golf Digest, LPGA/PGA Golf Professional Renee Powell. So he decided to take matters into his own strong hands, and used them to carve Clearview Golf Club out of the rolling, woodsy farmland of East Canton, Ohio.ĭr. The year was 1946, and despite having been captain of both his high school and college golf teams and having served with distinction in World War II, due to his race, William Powell was not welcome at most public golf courses in east central Ohio.
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