The Grand Rapids
Jaycees have existed in one form or another since 1912. In 1929,
we affiliated with the Michigan and United States Jaycees. Since
then, the Jaycees have made many contributions to the community.
*Special thanks to Nan Schichtel for her intensive
research and help in compiling this historical information.*
Click a decade to jump straight to it, or simply
scroll through the entire history.
1900's |1910's |1920's
| 1930's | 1940's | 1950's
| 1960's | 1970's | 1980's
| 1990's | 2000's
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| 1900's
|
1909 |
Grand Rapids Junior
Board of Trade formed by the Grand Rapids Board of Trade (now Grand
Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce) to improve manual training for
young boys and to discourage “ungentlemanly behavior.”
Dr. Jesse Buttrick Davis, then Principal of Grand Rapids Central
High School, oversees the group. Males under the age of 21 who had
completed at least the 8th grade were eligible for membership. Dues
were 25 cents per semester. |
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| 1910's
|
1910 |
Junior Board members
help to raise awareness of the city parks millage by wearing lapel
badges that read, “Say Mister, WANTED, your vote for parks
and playgrounds, Nov. 8th.” |
1912 |
Grand Rapids Board
of Trade changes name to Grand Rapids Association of Commerce. Grand
Rapids Junior Board follows suit and changes name to Grand Rapids
Junior Association of Commerce. |
1910s Projects |
Model Experimental
Farm, Red Cross Christmas Seals Sales, Children’s Christmas
Day Party |
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| 1920's
|
1924 |
Michigan
Junior Chamber of Commerce formed with three chapters: Flint, Pontiac,
and Saginaw. Martin P. Luthy from Jackson elected first President. |
Dec. 4, 1929 |
Grand Rapids Junior
Association of Commerce petitions for membership into United States
Junior Chamber of Commerce. Annual dues for members are $10. |
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| 1930's
|
1930 |
Eugene Goebel is
first member from Grand Rapids to be elected as Michigan Jaycees
President. |
1931 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
credited for helping to pass millage to build Civic Auditorium (aka
Welsh Auditorium). |
1930s Projects |
Civic Auditorium
Bond Vote, Kent Co. Reforestation Program, Air Show at the "new
airport", Grand Rapids Symphony Sales, “Best Monroe Ave.”
Campaign”, City Paint-Up and Clean-Up, Snow Shoveling Drive,
Grand Rapids Winter Sports Carnival, Christmas Vespers Service. |
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| 1940's
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1941 |
World War II begins.
Over 85% of Grand Rapids membership serving in military. |
May 1943 |
Following yet another
name change of its parent organization (Grand Rapids Chamber of
Commerce), the Grand Rapids Junior Association of Commerce approves
a name change to the “Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce.” |
May 1944 |
Michigan Junior
Chamber of Commerce Auxiliary formed for women. Grand Rapids chapter
auxiliary goes by name “Grand Rapids Jaycees Women’s
Association.” |
Sept. 1948 |
Grand Rapids Jaycee
Gerald R. Ford elected to Congress. |
| 1948 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees raise over $20,000
to bring first professional sports team to Grand Rapids – Grand
Rapids Chicks of All-American Girls Baseball League. |
| 1948 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees present its Distinguished
Service Award to Gerald R. Ford. |
| 1949 |
Gerald R. Ford named by the U.S. Junior
Chamber of Commerce as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in the
country. |
| 1940s Projects |
Curbstone Quarterback Club, Hoover Commission
Education, War Bond Sales, Waste Paper Parade, Victory Gardens, Opera
Under the Stars, Blodgett Home Transportation & Christmas Party. |
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| 1950's
|
1955 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
help to organize Grand Rapids chapter of Junior Achievement. |
1959 |
Chapter hosts first
Children’s Holiday Shopping Tour for underprivileged children. |
1950s Projects |
Teen Road-D-O, “I
Speak for Democracy,” Flag Sales, Slide-a-Rule, Nehi Soda
Pop Sales. |
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| 1960's
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1967 |
At the request of
the Mayor, the Grand Rapids Jaycees launch “Operation Victory”
to help pass the Grand Rapids City Income Tax to help improve infrastructure
within the city. |
1968 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
help to build the city’s first “Pocket Park” located
at 612 Cass Ave. SE with the help of a grant from the Grand Rapids
Foundation. |
1969 |
At urging of Steketee’s,
Grand Rapids Jaycees take over organization and operation of annual
downtown Christmas parade. Parade became known as the “Grand
Rapids Jaycees Santa Claus Parade.” |
1960s Projects |
Great Lakes Dog
Sled Race, Teen Dances, Battle of the Bands, Grand River Boat Races,
School Millage Vote, Seat Belt Sales. |
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| 1970's
|
Dec. 2, 1973 |
Gerald Ford is appointed
Vice President by President Nixon after Spiro Agnew resigns. |
Aug. 9, 1974 |
Ford becomes President
after Nixon resigns. |
1975-76 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
raise $750,000 to help build the West Michigan Burn Unit at Blodgett
Memorial Hospital. |
1978 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
organize one-day celebrity golf event at Cascade Country Club that
brings Chi Chi Rodriguez, Arnold Palmer, and President Ford to Grand
Rapids to raise money for charity. |
1970s Projects |
Two-on-the-Town
Coupon Books, Operation Red Ball, Burn Awareness, Snowmobile Races,
Grand Rapids Soap Box Derby, City Candidate Debate, Bicentennial
Air Show, Sister Cities. |
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| 1980's
|
March 1982 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
host 1st Annual Special Olympics State Basketball Tournament and
Skills Competition bringing over 500 Special Olympics athletes from
across the state to the area. |
1983 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
form Grand Rapids Jaycees Foundation (501-c3) to provide grants
to local charities and to support other Jaycee run projects. |
1984 |
National, state,
and local bylaws are changed to admit women as full members of the
Jaycees. |
1985 |
Greater Grand Rapids
Open, a Senior PGA Tour event, is born. Two-day event featured pro-am
and one-day tournament with $60,000 purse. Sixteen Senior Tour players
participated. |
1980s Projects |
Celebration on the
Grand Transportation, “I Love GR” Ties Fundraiser, Jack
Lousma Parade, Festival Food Booth. |
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| 1990's
|
Nov. 1990 |
Sandra K. Frost
becomes first woman elected President of Grand Rapids Jaycees. Diane
Ferris follows her as the 2nd female President in 1991. |
July 4, 1991 |
President George
Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush make a surprise appearance in the
Grand Rapids 4th of July Freedom Parade hosted by the Grand Rapids
Jaycees, which welcomed home troops back from Desert Storm. |
April 25, 1992 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees,
with help of industrialist H.J. Mackay, open MacKay Jaycees Family
Park on the corner of 28th Street and Kalamazoo. It’s the
city’s first handicapped-accessible park. |
1990s Projects |
Retention Task Force,
Speak-Up, Michigan Special Olympics, Bone Marrow/Organ Donor Testing,
Walter Mitty Grand Prix, Cultural Diversity Awareness, ID College,
Brick by Brick Campaign for Van Andel Arena. |
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| 2000's
|
July 2004 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
organize and host Grand Opening of Millennium Park. New park system
created by Kent County Parks slated to be nearly two times size
of New York City’s Central Park when finished. |
Sept. 11, 2004 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
host 1st Annual Patriot Day Parade to pay tribute to those who lost
their lives in the September 11th terrorist attacks and to honor
the heroes in the community. The parade, featuring a 9/11 survivor
and his guide dog as the Grand Marshals, is kicked off with a flyover
from four A-10s from the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base. |
Oct. 2004 |
Grand Rapids Jaycees
announce that Champions Tour will not be returning to Grand Rapids
due to lack of a title sponsor. The annual event raised over $3.4
million for local charities during its 19-year tenure with an average
of $300,000 per year being raised in its last five years alone.
Jim Thorpe won the 2004 Farmers Charity Classic, which had a purse
of $1.6 million and was televised nationally on the Golf Channel
and CNBC. |
2000s Projects |
Tile by Tile for
DeVos Place, Skydiving 101, Warm Clothing Drive, Haunted House,
Operation Homefront, Children’s Holiday Shopping Tour, Adopt-a-Highway,
World Travelers Book Club, Easter Egg Hunt, Bid for Bachelors &
Bachelorettes, Festival of Chefs |
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