Ok Lions Clubs History

History of Lions in Oklahoma

LIONS History—


Lions Clubs International began as the dream of Chicago insurance man Melvin Jones. He believed 

local business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large.


Jones’ own group, Business Circle of Chicago, agreed. They contacted groups around the country, a meeting was held on June 7, 1917, at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago. The new group took the name of one of the groups invited, the “Association of Lions Clubs,” and a national convention was held in Dallas, Texas in October of that year. 


Thirty-six delegates representing 22 clubs from nine states were in attendance. The convention began to define what the association was to become.  A constitution, by-laws, objects and code of ethics were approved. Among the official objects adopted in those early years was one which read, “No club shall hold out the financial betterment of its members as its object.” The object has remained one of the association’s main tenets ever since.


Since those first years, the association has grown to include nearly  1.4 million men and women in more than 46,000 clubs located in 208 countries and geographic areas. It is now the largest service club in the world. 

The official name of our Association is:

·      The International Association of Lions Clubs.

·      It is also referred to as Lions Clubs International or LCI.


·      Our Motto: We Serve


·      Our Slogan: Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nations Safety.


·      Official Colors: Purple and Gold.

·      Purple represents loyalty to country, friends and one’s self, and to the integrity of mind and heart. It is the color of strength, courage and dedication to a cause.

·      Gold symbolizes sincerity of purpose, liberality in judgment, purity in life and generosity in mind, heart and commitment to mankind.



The idea for the Lions Club is credited to Dr. W. P. Woods of Evansville, IN., who began working to establish such an organization several years before the Dallas convention. He was elected the first president. Woods had engaged George Cunningham of Houston to help organize the clubs. After Cunningham formed several clubs in Texas, he moved into Oklahoma, forming a club the, Oklahoma City Downtown Lions in September 1916. From Oklahoma City, Cunningham went to Tulsa with three members of the OKC club to organize the Lions in Tulsa.


Although Melvin Jones is often credited with being the association founder, he was involved at the beginning and forged the association’s early history and polices.


Just three years after its formation, the organization became international when the first club in Windsor, Ontario, Canada was established in 1920. Clubs were later organized in Mexico, China and Cuba. By 1927 membership stood at 60,000 in 1,183 clubs. As of July 1, 2017, Lions membership is over 1.5 million members, over 46,000 clubs in over 200 countries.


Helen Keller & Lions


The event credited with having the greatest impact on Lions occurred in 1925 when Helen Keller addressed the Lions at the international convention in Cedar Point, Ohio.


It was there she challenged Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness”.





The lapel pin worn today by Lions around the world was adopted in 1920. It was designed by R. A. Kleinschmidt of Oklahoma City Lions Club and remains unchanged from its original form. R. A. was one of the first International Directors and he later moved to Tulsa becoming a member of the Tulsa Lions Club.

Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF): is the charitable arm of LCI, both individual and club donations to LCIF support grants in these categories: SightFirst, Core 4, and Standard, International Assistance grants for Emergency Major Catastrophe and Major International Service programs. (Note: LCIF does not have any administrative cost in its program; the cost comes out of the interest earned on the monies). Click here for link: Lions Clubs International Website.




Oklahoma Lions History

Dr. W. P. Woods of Evansville, IN., began working to establish LIONS an organization several years before the Dallas convention. Woods engaged George Cunningham of Houston to help organize the clubs. Cunningham formed several clubs in Texas and then moved into Oklahoma. Oklahoma City Downtown Lions in September 1916 was then formed. From Oklahoma City, Cunningham went to Tulsa with three members of the OKC club to organize the Lions in Tulsa.


Oklahoma’s community service projects had its beginning! On October 11, 1916, 25 professional and business men gathered in the grill room of Hotel Tulsa for the first meeting of the Tulsa Downtown Lions Club, a year before Lions Clubs International was born. The club’s membership had grown to 40 by the time of the first international convention a year later in Dallas.


Within a period of months, Lions clubs had been organized in Ardmore and Chickasha. Representatives from all of those clubs were among the 36 delegates and eight alternates who attended the first international convention Dallas October 8 – 10, 1917. Clubs were organized a few months later in Okmulgee, Muskogee and El Reno, which allowed Oklahoma to have what has become known as Founders Clubs, with a total of seven in Oklahoma.


Oklahoma was designated District #3 because it had the largest number of clubs at the first convention. Number One is Illinois and number Two is Texas for hoisting the first convention. Oklahoma was originally in District 6. Districts were numbered East from the Pacific Coast, ending up with 9 Districts. Oklahoma’s district was the only one that included as few as two states, an indication of the strength of the Lions in the Sooner State. Because it was one of the strongest pillars of Lionism, Oklahoma became District 3. The popularity of U S District Judge Edgar S. Vaught of Oklahoma City, who was elected international president in 1922, may have had something to do with Oklahoma becoming District 3.


There have been three international presidents from Oklahoma;

  • 1st was Ed S. Vaught                                     1922-23
  • 2nd was Dr. Eugene Briggs                            1948-49
  • 3rd was Dr. Robert “Bob” McCullough            1970-71
  • Oklahoma has had 15 International Directors to date and 431 district governors.


Oklahoma Lions Involvement in the Beginning!

As you can see the Oklahoma Lions have been involved with the Lions from the beginning, so we do have a great amount of history with Lions International to be proud of.


Don’t forget there is LCIF, which all clubs should continue to support each year. This is where funds come to help natural disasters around the world, such as the Moore tornado, etc. This is also an excellent way to recognize one of your members with donations in Melvin Jones name.


Multiple District 3: The Lions of Oklahoma State Office

The Lions of Oklahoma own an office building that is located on land owned by the OKC West Side Lions Club (and leased to the OK Lions for 99 years). The state office is fairly rare in United States Lionism in that most states do not physically have a state office. It is at 4123 NW 10th St., Oklahoma City OK 73107.


The Lion (LCI) and Oklahoma Lion are the official magazine and newspaper for members of Oklahoma Lions. The subscription price for each is included in dues.


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