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Copyright © 2000
Kiwanis Club of
San Luis Obispo.
All Rights Reserved.

Club History
The Kiwanis Club of San Luis Obispo had its beginning in late January of 1924 when several members of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria came to San Luis Obispo and began meeting with a group of San Luis Obispo business leaders and professional people. It was only a matter of days until a luncheon meeting was held at the Midway Cafeteria and the decision to organize a new club that would meet on noon on Wednesdays was reached. Although the new club would have an official organization date of February 6, 1924 on Kiwanis International records, the Daily Telegram reported on February 13, 1924 that the new club was "fully organized" at a meeting held on that date and that regular meetings would begin the next week. Elaborate plans were made for the new club's Charter Night celebration. The event was held in the Civic auditorium on Monterey Street on the night of May 17, 1924. The club's 41 members were joined by 250 other guests from throughout the state at the celebration. District Governor A. Heber Winder presented the charter to the new club.

The sponsored youth programs of Kiwanis International have been an important part of the San Luis Obispo club's activities since 1953 when the Circle K Club of California Polytechnic State University was formed under its sponsorship. The Cal Poly Club is known for its prize-winning campus and community service projects. Now the longest continuously active Circle K club in the Cal-Nev-Ha District, the Cal Poly club and the San Luis Obispo club are noted for their long and close "K Family" relationship.

In 1948, the Kiwanis club of San Luis Obispo sponsored the organization of the Kiwanis club of Paso Robles, and later sponsored formation of the South San Luis Obispo County Club (Now the Pismo Beach Club -1956), the San Luis de Tolosa club (1958), The Morro Bay Estero club (1965), and the San Luis Obispo de Los Osos club.

Over the years since its formation during meetings held at the Midway Cafeteria (most likely located at 993 Higuera Street where the First Bank parking lot now stands), the San Luis Obispo club has held its weekly noon meetings at Sears Grill and Paul Perrot's Grill (both located at 1020 Morro Street), the Anderson Hotel Grill, the Motel Inn at the top of Monterey Street, the Round Room at the Madonna Inn, Margie's Diner (Hwy 101 and Los Osos Valley Road), the Laguna Village Inn, and the Sands Motor Hotel on upper Monterey Street. The club now meets Thursday noon at the Monday Club on Monterey Street.

Recent Service projects and community service events include building a bereavement room for Hospice Partners, building a bathroom for Partners in Equine Therapy, feeding the homeless the first Sunday of each month, numerous projects at the historic Dallidet Adobe, ringing the Christmas bells for the Salvation Army, sponsoring a Cub Scout pack, providing scholarships for HOBY (Hugh O'Brian Youth leadership), buying wheel chairs for disadvantaged people in third world countries, and providing breakfast for the Camp Hapitok leadership.


                Past Presidents

Term President Term President
1924 Judge Tom A. Norton 1965 Reg Streeter
1925 Harry Woehl 1966 Charles Belcher
1926 Dr. Harry Gowman 1967 Ralph Murphy
1927 Dr. Jack Nielsen* 1968 Bruce L. Russell*
1928 Dr. Ben Lovell 1969 Mace Fulkerson
1929 Roy Nickelsen* 1969-70 Charles Lewin
1930 James Greenelsh 1970-71 Walt Gonyer
1931 Fred Kimball 1971-72 Tom Eaton
1932 Abe Brazil 1972-73 Craig Cramer
1933 Don McGee 1973-74 Jim Silva
1934 Chester O. McCorkle* 1974-75 Ed Arnett
1935 J. Earle Boyce* 1975-76 Harold Larson
1936 Russell Hoyt 1976-77 Duane Scudder
1937 Theodore Howes* 1977-78 Bruno Ferioli
1938 Gus Thiebaud 1978-79 Jim Greathouse
1939 Hubert Seamans 1979-80 Mike Park
1940 Earl Van Vechten 1980-81 Jim Gall
1941 Allen Mobley 1981-82 Ronald Kyker
1942 Joe O'Conner 1982-83 Steve Riddel
1943 Harry Kyle 1983-84 Alfred Griffith
1944 Wesley Baker 1984-85 Andrew Cone
1945 Laurence Griffin 1985-86 Hilding Larson*
1946 Cecil "Spud" Evans* 1986-87 Thomas Maier
1947 Lawrence Davidson 1987-88 Stephen Thayer
1948 Curtis Berryman* 1988-89 Mark Bloodgood
1949 Mart Rosenthal 1989-90 Richard Carsel
1950 Dr. Albert Clawson 1990-91 Bob Kitamura
1951 Torlief Rickensrud 1991-92 Loretta Betterton
1952 Vern Meacham 1992-93 Melvin Shapiro
1953 Francis Scott* 1993-94 Dr. Howard Scholz
1954 H. Lee Holmes 1994-95 Shane Kramer*
1955 Asher Shaw 1995-96 Roger Jump
1956 William Troutner 1996-97 Sean Fitzpatrick
1957 Bert Brown 1997-98 Bob Long
1958 James Crawford 1998-99 Stewart Jenkins
1959 Dr. Harold Hayes 1999-00 Roger Steele
1960 Gil Brown 2000-01 Jim Frye
1961 Bert Fellows 2001-02 Trish Phipps
1962 Bert Fellows 2002-03 James Aiken
1963 Harald Nielsen* 2003-04 Bob Alderman
1964 Emmons Blake 2004-05Bart Topham

* Indicates Presidents who have also served as Lieutenant Governors