A Tale of Two Cities

Chicago, Illinois & Evansville, Indiana

With apologies  to Charles Dickens,  this  tale of two  cities will begin in Chicago,  Illinois on  June 7, 1917, the exact  place  and  date that  Lions  International recognize as the founding of the organization  giving credit  to  Melvin  Jones  as the founder.  Mr. Jones  at  that  time was an insurance executive  and  upon joining  the  Business  Circle in  1913, a  businessman’s  club,  was  ultimately  elected  secretary of  the organization that was dedicated to its own business interests and little else. Their motto: you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. It  was said  that the Business  Circle had  lost serious  numbers  of  membership  and  Melvin  Jones  learned  that  most  of  those  members  joined  other  organizations  with  a national  standing.  As  a  result,  Jones  began  writing to  a number of  civic  leaders in 1916  and  invited them  to  come  to  Chicago  to discuss  the  possibility  of  forming  a  larger,   more  effective   civic organization  that  could  have  a national  impact.

The  meeting   purportedly  took  place  at  the  La  Salle Hotel  with  48 clubs  represented   according  to Melvin  Jones’ own  accounts.  Among  the  various  club  invited were  the Vortex  Club of  St. Louis  and Detroit, the Optimist Club,  and  making  up  the  larger  number, various   Lions  Clubs  headed  by  its  president  and  founder,  Dr. William P. Woods,  a  prominent  medical  surgeon of  Evansville,  Indiana.

The  following  statements  are  taken  verbatim  from  Melvin  Jones  11-page  dissertation  as  to  his version  of the  founding  of  the  International  Association of  Lions  Clubs: 

“Prior  to  the  meeting, discussions  were  had  with Dr. Woods  regarding  the new organization that might be formed  acquiring his  right  in  the said  corporation  above  mentioned”  (The International  Association  of  Lions  Clubs). Melvin Jones  goes on to say, “Dr. W.P. Woods  who  had  been  invited to  attend the Board of Directors meeting, attended the meeting,  and  agreed with the  Directors  that  the  new organization  could  take over  his  control of ‘The International Association of Lions Clubs’,  an Indiana  corporation.  Also during  this  recess,  the  President  of  the Dallas Lions  Club  was contacted  by  long distance  phone  and  his agreement  obtained  that, with our cooperation, the clubs  affiliated with this  new organization  would hold a convention  in  the first  or  second  week  of  October 1917,  with  the Dallas  Lions  Club  as host club. The  Board of  Directors ,  with  the authority   of  the  motion  voted  by  the  Business   Circle  members  previously  at  the  luncheon,   voted  to  change  their  name to  the  Lions  Club  of  Chicago.  All these things were done during the recess  of  the meeting  mentioned.”

The first convention soon followed in Dallas, Texas on October 8-9-10, 1917.  Melvin   Jones  continues, “The convention  mentioned  was a convention of representatives of  various  clubs  that had decided  to affiliate with  other  clubs  in the organization  formed  at  Chicago  on  June 7, 1917,  and  all  clubs  represented  at the convention were  so  represented  as a direct  result of  the meeting of  June 7, 1917,  held in Chicago…I had been  actively  engaged  with  others  in making arrangements  for  the  Dallas  convention  and  in developing  the new  organization  that  had  been formed on  June 7, 1917… We,  representing   the  Lions  Club  of  Chicago,  favored   the  name , ‘Lions’, as  did  some  delegates  of  other  clubs,  and  the name ‘International   Association of  Lions Clubs’  was  adopted  by  the  delegates  of  the  convention.”

The Dallas Convention…October 8-9-10, 1917

According to Melvin  Jones, “The  delegates  proceeded  to  elect  Officers  and  Directors,  and  elected  L.P. Lewis,  as President.   Dr. Woods… had   indicated   that he would  like  to  be  president… The  home  office  of  the  Association  shall  be  in  the  city  of  the  Secretary-Treasurer.”

Note:   The  preceding  material   is  virtually  all  taken from  Melvin   Jones’  personal  version  of  the  founding   and  the time period up  to  and  including  the convention  in  Dallas.  The following versions   are taken from official   Lions   International   websites: 

“After  contacting  similar  groups  around   the   United  States,  an  organizational   meeting  was  held  on  June 7,  1917,  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  USA.  The   new  group  took  the  name  of  one   of   the   invited  groups,   the ‘Association   of   Lions  Clubs’,  and  a  national   convention  was  held  in  Dallas,  Texas,  USA   in October  of  that  year…”  (lions100.lionsclubs.org)

“Lions  began  in  the  United  States  in  1917  when   a  group  of   independent   clubs  responded  to  an ideal   presented  to  them  by  a  young   Chicago  insurance   agent,  Melvin   Jones…A  conference   was  called  of   some  25   independent   clubs  on  June  7, 1917  and   from  this  meeting   the  organization was  born.” (lionsusa.com) 

“1917— On  June 7,   began  the  structuring  of   the  foundation  of  the  International   Association  of  Lions   Clubs   at  the  East  Room  of  the  LaSalle  Hotel  in  Chicago…”  (Lions University)   

This  Tale  of  Two  Cities  will  now  focus  on  the  second  city,  Evansville,  Indiana.  The   information   that follows will concern Dr.  William Perry Woods,   a medical surgeon, living in   Evansville.  Most  of  this  will  be  from  his  sworn  affidavit  of  1952  which  resulted  to  rebut   Melvin  Jones’  11- page  letter  on  the  founding  of  the  association.

Dr. Woods   began  forming  “Lions   Clubs” as  early  as 1901  as  the  Royal  Order  of  Lions.  More  on  this  organization  later,  but  the  clubs,  or “dens” as  they  were  known,  were  chartered  as  early  as 1915  and  many  of  them  were  merged  into  his  later organization  which  came  about  a year  later. It  was  October 24,  1916  when  Dr. Woods,  along  with  two of  his  associates,  Carmi  Hicks  and  C.R. Conen,  put  his  signature   on  the  Articles  of  Incorporation  in  Indiana,  to wit:  the  INTERNATIONAL   ASSOCIATION   OF  LIONS   CLUBS.  High  expectations  were  anticipated,  in  that  the new club’s purpose  was  “to   take   an active  part  in  movements  for  the  commercial  and  civic  betterment  of  all  cities,  states  or  nations  in which  this  association  may  be established  or represented.”  It should  be  noted  that  incorporation  became  necessary  as  the number  of  chartered  “Lions   Clubs”  was  growing  at  a  rapid  pace.  It  has been   estimated  that  more  than  two  dozen  clubs   had  been  chartered   in  various   parts  of   the country   and  more  were  on  the way.  Dr.  Woods was blessed by having   great   organizers   in the field to fuel   this expansion,    notably   E.A.  Hicks and  G.M.  Cunningham.  The  organizers  were   the unsung   heroes   that made  Lionism’s rapid growth a pride to behold.

Dr. Woods:  “After the  INTERNATIONAL  ASSOCIATION  OF  LIONS CLUBS   was  incorporated  under  the  laws of  Indiana  (see  Exhibit  “A”),  a letter was sent  out  to each  and  every  organization  in  the southwest,  which   numbered  thirty-three (33),  then  each  and  every  club  was   invited  to  send  a Delegate  to  meet  in a  convention  which  was  to  take  place in  Dallas, Texas  at  the  Adolphus  Hotel  on  the  8^th, 9^th, and 10^th  of  October,  1917.”  Dr.  Woods  then stated  that he  sent  the letters out  “about  two or  two  and  one  half  to  three  weeks” before  the  convention,  and  his  secretary  wrote  them.

It  was  between  the  time  the  notices  were  mailed  out  and  the  time  that   Dr.  Woods  left  for  the  convention  that  he  first  met  Melvin  Jones.   Mr.  Jones “came to Evansville and  arrived  at  the  office  of  the  Lions.”  He stayed for two days and had conferences   with Dr.  Woods both days.

Dr.  Woods states, 

“I  should  say  the  gist  of  the conversation  was  this:  that  Melvin  Jones  said, ‘I  am  the secretary  of  a  club  in  Chicago  called  the  BUSINESS  CIRCLE.  We  have  about  35  members,  and  we would  like  to  affiliate  with  some  national  organization.  I  have  heard  about  the  Lions,  so  that  is why  I  came  to  see  you.’ Then I told Mr.  Jones  that  we  had  incorporated   the  INTERNATIONAL  ASSOCIATION  OF  LIONS  CLUBS  under  the  state  laws  of  Indiana,  and  that  a convention  had  been called  to meet  in  Dallas, Texas, and  that  the  notices had  already  been  mailed  to  each  and  every club in  the southwest  to  send  Delegates  to  this  convention. He  asked how  many  clubs we had,  and  I told  him that  there  were  thirty-three   clubs  that  I had sent  out  notices  to. He  wanted  to  know  if his   club  couldn’t   take  out  a charter,  and  if  he  couldn’t,  then  some  member  of  his  club  be  a delegate  and  go  to  this  convention  in  Dallas.  I told   him, ‘certainly.’  That  if  he  wanted  to  take out  a  charter, we  would  be  glad  to  have  him  do  so. This was done.  He was the Delegate to go.”

Melvin  Jones  returned  to Chicago  and  the charter that  was  granted  to his organization  was  mailed to  Chicago. A  little  later,  Melvin   Jones  and  one  of  his  club  members,   Mr. Trienens,  returned   to Evansville  and  all  three  took  the  same  train  to  Dallas.  While  on the train, Dr.  Woods   indicated  that  at  some  place  Between  St. Louis  and Dallas,  Melvin  Jones  came  to his  Pullman  compartment  and asked,  “Dr. Woods,  do  you think  there  would  be any  chance  of  me  being  elected  as Secretary of   this  organization  down   at  Dallas?  I would like to be Secretary, if possible.”  Dr.  Woods  responded,  “I  think  you  stand  as  good  a  show  as  anyone  else.  If  you  get  out  and  mix  with  the boys  and  be  a  good  fellow,  and  try  to boost  your  own  stock,  I’ll   get  behind  you  and  I’ll  boost  you  also.”

Highlights of the Dallas Convention

• Dr. Woods   presided at the convention.
• Dr. Woods   was elected President.
• Melvin  Jones  followed  Dr. Woods  advice  and  was  elected  the new  Secretary.
• The  home  office  of  the  club  shall  be  the home  office  of  the  President.
• The   home office of the Secretary shall be the home city of the Secretary.
• All  Lions  Organization  files  were  turned  over  to  Melvin  Jones   by  Dr.  Woods.
• The “Lions” organization   name was retained and a motion to have it copyrighted approved.
• Business  women  were  allowed  to  become  members,  but  this  was  rescinded  a  year  later.   
• “Gold” & “Purple”  became  official  colors,  a  carry-over  from  the  Royal  Order  of  Lions. 
• The  official  emblem  became  the  Lion  head  with  the “International”  club  in  its  mouth.