PGA HONORS WILBERFORCE ALUMNUS FOR PIONEERING DIVERSITY IN GOLF
 |
|---|
William J. Powell will receive the PGA of America’s Distinguished Service Award, its highest annual honor, on Wednesday, Aug. 12 in Minneapolis for pioneering efforts to diversify golf that extend back to his days at Wilberforce University.
Powell, 92, is the only African-American to design, build, own and operate a golf course, Clearview Golf Club in East Canton. He has received numerous awards, including honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Wilberforce University and Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, OH. He will receive the PGA award at a program the day before the PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
While the captain of the golf and football teams at Minerva High School, Powell played at various courses. But after graduation he was not allowed to play at the same courses because of his color.
In 1937, he and his older brother, Berry, formed the first golf team at Wilberforce. The game between Wilberforce and Ohio Northern University was the first match between a white college and black college. Wilberforce played them twice and was victorious. There was a rematch at Clearview in 2002; that time Ohio Northern won.
When WWII began, Bill left school to serve in the European Theater. Afterward, he found that he still was not allowed to play on white courses.
He decided to build his own, but the bank denied him a GI Loan despite his honorable discharge from the Army. Two black physicians gave him financial backing, his brother Berry took out a loan on his house and Powell added funds of his own to start the project.
In 1948, he opened a course with nine holes on former dairy farmland. A decade later, he bought out his partners and added a second nine holes. A complete 18-hole layout opened in 1978.
Tiger Woods awards a William and Marcella Powell Scholarship every year in recognition of Powell’s efforts to break down racial barriers.
Renee Powell, daughter of Powell and his late wife Marcella, is presently the head professional at Clearview. She is a PGA/LPGA Professional and 2003 PGA First Lady of Golf and the second African American to compete on the LPGA tour. Bill’s son Larry is the greenskeeper.
Clearview is on the National Register of Historic Places.
1055 N. BICKETT RD.
WILBERFORCE, OH 45384-1001
(937) 376-2911