Dec. 31, 2009 — PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — PGA Life Member William James (Bill) Powell of East Canton, Ohio, the only African American to build, own and operate a golf course, and a selfless ambassador for building diversity in the game, died Dec. 31, at Aultman Hospital in Canton following complications from a stroke. He was 93.

Powell had celebrated in 2009 what he recently called “the best year of my life” – a season of tributes highlighted by his receiving in August the PGA Distinguished Service Award, the Association’s highest annual honor.

In November, Powell was inducted into the Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame; was named Person of the Year by the Ohio Golf Course Owners Association, and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce presented the Powell family its Community Salute Award. “Bill Powell will forever be one of golf’s most unforgettable American heroes,” said PGA of America President Jim Remy.

“Bill made us appreciate the game and each other that much more by his gentle, yet firm example. He was born with a fire within his heart to build on his dream. In the process, he made golf a beacon for people of all color. The PGA of America is better today because of individuals like Bill Powell. We will miss him dearly. We extend our thoughts and prayers to his family as we remember a wonderful man.”

Powell was preceded in death by his wife, Marcella, and a son, William. He is survived by his daughter, Renee, a PGA/LPGA Professional and the second African American to compete on the LPGA Tour; a son, Larry, who has served for more than 30 years as superintendent at Clearview Golf Club; and twin sisters Mary Alice Walker of Akron, Ohio, and Rose Marie Mathews of Minerva, Ohio.

Funeral services for Mr. Powell will be conducted Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 11:00 a.m., at Minerva United Methodist Church in Minerva, Ohio. Friends may call Tuesday Jan. 5, at Minerva United Methodist Church, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., and from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations should be directed to The Clearview Legacy Foundation for Education, Preservation and Research, a 501(c) 3 charitable foundation, which will help perpetuate Mr. Powell’s vision for America’s Course.

The Foundation is found at P.O. Box 30196, East Canton, OH 44730, or by visiting www.clearview-gc.com, or by phone: (330) 488-0404. “I hope that I have created more awareness about what Clearview is all about,” Powell said in November following his Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame induction.

“We have had many people come to visit us, including some from Canada. They now know who we are. I watched on TV golf being played in Shanghai, China, and I do believe that the game of golf is the best vehicle to rid hate in the world.”

The grandson of Alabama slaves, Powell earned the rank of Technical Sergeant in the U.S. Eighth Air Force Truck Battalion in World War II, and during his term of service was able to play golf throughout Great Britain. He would return home and create Clearview Golf Club as a lasting monument to opening doors of opportunity after he had been denied so many pathways to equality throughout his life. Powell worked 18-hour days to both support his family and build Clearview. Denied a G.I. Loan, Powell found funding for his dream from two African American physicians in Ohio, while his brother took out a second mortgage on his home.

Powell went on to carve Clearview Golf Club out of former dairy farmland in the autumn of 1946, clearing the land himself — many hours by hand. In the process, Powell broke down racial barriers without fanfare by developing women and youth golf leagues. Clearview opened its initial nine holes in 1948. Powell eventually repaid his benefactors to gain full ownership, and an additional nine holes was completed in 1978. Clearview Golf Club is on the National Register of Historic Places, and nicknamed “America’s Course.”

It is a piece of property, said Powell, where “the only color that matters is the color of the greens.” During Clearview’s 50th anniversary, Powell reflected upon his creation in his 2000 autobiography, Clearview: America’s Course. “I didn’t build this course for any of the recognition,” he said. “It was a labor of love. Golf is a part of society and I wanted to be included. I want you to be included, too. I’ve always felt that each individual should leave something behind of meaning. It feels good to know that I have done that with Clearview, at long last.”

Powell’s fulfillment of a dream to own his own golf course was a life’s journey that crossed racial boundaries, withstood numerous obstacles and incidents of racism since the opening of the course and throughout its operation. Throughout his career, Powell never hesitated to share a passion and respect for golf among those who otherwise would never have had the opportunity to discover themselves.

Born Nov. 22, 1916, in Butler County, Greenville, Ala., Powell was the third child of six children of Berry and Massaleaner Powell. As the post-World War I economy shifted, the Powell family moved in 1919 to Minerva, Ohio, where Berry Powell ended his business of owning a general store and found steady work in a pottery factory. Bill Powell discovered a love for golf at age 9 by playing and caddying at Edgewater Golf Course. As his own game developed, Powell became a multi-sport athlete at Minerva High School. Powell was one of the star football players at his high school on a 1932 Minerva team that finished the season unbeaten and unscored upon.

Powell and his friends formed a golf team and he was asked by the athletic director to serve as captain and coach. That meant Powell would schedule matches against all local schools. Powell became a fine amateur player and was the first black to compete in a junior event at Orchard Hills Country Club (now The Fairways Golf Club) in North Canton. For two days, the 16-year-old Powell hitchhiked 42 miles round trip to the course and after having led the tournament until the final few holes, he finished third.

He later attended Wilberforce University in Xenia, Ohio, where in 1937 the school’s men’s golf team traveled to face Ohio Northern University at Lost Creek Country Club in Lima, Ohio. It was the first inter-racial collegiate golf match in American history, with Wilberforce returning home triumphant and also capturing the rematch. Powell met Marcella Oliver and they were married Nov. 22, 1940, Powell’s birthday. Powell went on to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps through the end of World War II.

He returned to Canton, Ohio, where he continued his position at Timken Company, a roller bearing and steel manufacturer, where he worked for 23 years. Powell was the teacher-coach of his daughter, Renee, who competed from 1967 to 1980 on the LPGA Tour and later served as a head professional at a golf club in England. Renee, who earned PGA of America membership in 1996, followed in her father’s footsteps as a promoter of the game and was the 2003 PGA First Lady of Golf.

“My father made a mark,” said Renee Powell. “And, I believe that God wanted people to know the mark that he made on this nation.” In 1992, the Powells were honored by the National Golf Foundation as the Jack Nicklaus Golf Family of the Year. That same year, William was awarded the “Cornerstone of Freedom Award” from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission.

In 1996, Powell was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame and in 1997 was presented Honorary PGA membership by the Northern Ohio PGA Section. In 1999, his membership was made retroactive to Jan. 1, 1962, thus making Powell a PGA Life Member. Powell also received honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from his alma mater, Wilberforce University, and from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.

In 1999, Powell was a national panelist invited by the Smithsonian Institution to discuss African Americans and the Game of Golf: Past, Present and Future. Powell’s legacy in golf is enshrined by The First Tee, which has distributed more than 1,100 William J. Powell Scholarships that allow youngsters to attend The First Tee Life Skills and Leadership Academies conducted on college campuses.

William Powell, on the AAGD Cover, Summer 2009

At those same academies, young men vie for the Dr. William J. Powell Outstanding Male Leader Award. The scholarship has provided opportunities for participants to learn valuable character education and receive leadership instruction through workshops, career exploration seminars, and golf clinics. The academies have attracted young people from more than 100 cities in 30 states, plus Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore.

1/7/20 – 8/2/07

Ellis Roger Davis was born on January 7, 1920 in Greenwood, SC to Jesse and Iola Davis and raised in Asheville, NC with two sisters and four brothers by his father and step mother, Ruth Davis.

Davis began his love affair with golf while working as a caddy at the local golf course and he moved to New York City in his early years to live with his Grandmother, Anna Mariah Butler.

He enlisted in the Army (October 1941) and was stationed in the Pacific as an anti-aircraft gunner and earned the American Defense Service Medal, American Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged in October 1945 and returned home to Corona, NY where he worked at Kennedy Airport and continued to pursue his passion for golf.

Davis married Betty Gaines on February 4, 1961 and moved to Jamaica, NY where he will be missed as a loving, protective and supportive father.  They had three children. Along with his passion for golf was the love for Cadillac cars and listening to jazz.

He was a member of the Dunbar Golf Club in Manhattan where he won numerous trophies and awards.  He was also Inducted into The National Black Golf Hall of Fame in July 1997 and selected by his peers for his long-standing accomplishments in the game.

On January 30, 2008 the legacy and contributions of Mr. Ellis Davis will be honored by the Generation of Color Foundation and the African American Golfers Digest at the 2008 Super Bowl Celebrity Golf Tournament and Banquet Dinner fundraiser. Tiffany Williams, President of the Generation of Color Foundation states, ”Mr. Davis legacy to his family and community reflects the mission statement of our organization’s commitment to help minority children, to pursue quality education, is just one of the reason’s, we wanted to honor him.

The 2008 Celebrity Golf Classic and banquet will be held on January 30th and 31st and will take place at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. The event will be hosted by Santana Dodson, a 12-year veteran of the National Football League. For information call (602) 696-7442.

June 15, 1953 -June 30, 2007
Russell Taylor, 54, died suddenly from an aortic dissection, ending a life filled with promise for a man filled with talent.

Taylor was born in Lafayette, Indiana, on June 15, 1953 to Vivian Clark and Talmus Russell Taylor of Anderson. He grew up both a musician and an athlete. He began playing golf at Kilbuck Golf Club in Anderson, and the dye for a career as a professional golfer was cast. He declined a college scholarship to play football at Purdue in order to pursue his musical and golf dreams.

Russell became a golf professional, receiving his USGA membership in 1987 and worked at the famous Pebble Beach Golf Club in Monterey, California, as an assistant pro. He began his work with children out there, working with the Jordan tour. He returned to Indianapolis to be closer to family, first at River Glen Country Club and later at Wolf Run Golf Club as assistant pro. Currently, Russell was Head Pro at Douglass Golf Club in Indianapolis.

Much of his focus was on teaching and coaching young golfers. He was the National Director of the Lee Elder Junior Golf Tour in 1996. In 1998, he became an adjunct faculty member at IUPUI to teach golf to college students. Russell was also an author who focused on blacks who broke color barriers and was a friend and a mentor for adolescents and he was a contributor writer for “From The Tee Box” for the African American Golfer’s Digest. In 2000, the city of Indianapolis wanted to start their own junior program and Russell directed the program. Over the past seven years, more than 500 inner city and at-risk youth have participated in his program.

Russell has also been the Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory High School boys golf coach since 2000, taking that team to the semi-states in 2006. Turning to girl’s teams, he reignited the girls’ golf program at Arsenal Technical High School girls in Indianapolis in 2004. He truly loved coaching. For his tireless efforts and unwavering devotion to the youth of Indianapolis, he received the FOX 59 “Unsung Heroes Award” in 2002.  During the Formula 1 weekend in June, he, along with the SouledOut Band, opened for the Lonnie Lester charity concerts held at the Hilbert Circle theater. A video from the Lester concerts is scheduled appear on PBS this fall.

During his musical career he recorded over 150 commercials, including work for Budweiser, McDonald’s, Toyota, Mickey’s Malt Liquor and ATA, and starred in TV commercials and corporate training videos. His recording projects include working with The Coasters, The Shirrells, Turley Richards, Peddlar with the release of the album “Street Corner Stuff”, Fingers, Fresh, LA Jazz, Chicago Drums Unlimited, Chaser, and Duke Tomato on such major record labels as United Artists, Chi-Sound Records, Atlantic, and Alligator Records. He also opened for artists including Ramsey Lewis, The Four Tops, The Rippington’s, and Lee Ritenour.

As a vocal professional and drummer he collaborated and recorded with a wide range of bands and artists that include the Walking Catfish, Dave Bennett, and renowned jazz pianist Carl Hinds. During his career, Russell played in Europe and at Chicago Fest at Soldier Field and venues throughout central Indiana.

In 1995, he became the musical director for a new contemporary service, AliveTime, at First Meridian Heights Presbyterian Church. Providing lead vocals and drums for this unique service, he returned almost every Sunday morning from gigs and golf obligations to become an integral part of the congregation.
He was married to his high school sweetheart, Joni Ireland and they had a son, Russell Michael. Russell was so very proud of his son, who has become an accomplished and in his own words “monster” drummer. Michael lives in LA with his lovely wife Stephanie.

Russell is survived by his son, Russell Michael, Los Angeles, CA; his fiancé, Karen Brock of Indianapolis; brothers Roger (Elnora) Clark of Anderson and John (Vora) Young El of Muncie; a sister, Delorese (Herman) Jennings of Anderson, and his mother, Vivion Clark, Anderson. Other immediate family include an aunt, Constance Oglesby of Sellersburg; 3 nieces and 2 nephews, 8 great nieces and nephews,; an extended family too numerous to mention including cousins all over the country; and a large and devastated church family. He was preceded in death by his father, his grandparents, and his sister, Fannie.
The memorial service was held at Russell’s church, First Meridian Heights Presbyterian, Indianapolis, IL on Saturday, July 21st and a gathering of musicians, a special event for sharing musical talent and stories, at the Jazz Kitchen on July 22.