06/12/2026
Hey Lopers - It's your Club President and this is an important day!
On this day back in 1956 - The Wyoming Antelope Hunters Protective Association Inc, a group of scofflaws made up of Indianapolis Mayor Alex Clark, Indiana Governor Harold W. Handley, Olympic medalist in swimming Frank McKinney Sr., Sheriff Dan Smith, Ed French (owner of Monarch Beverage), and Al Schilling created the charter for our Club: better known as the Antelope Club.
Our story began earlier in 1947, when these group of guys, along with "some dumb bastard" (SDB) (who's name is lost to time) drank at Jim Hussey's Sportsman's Club at 934 N. Pennsylvania St (now the Living Room Lounge), and later at La Rue's Supper Club (1121 N. Pennsylvania Ave, destroyed to make room for I-65) . A drunken idea later, and after a spontaneous trip to Douglas, WY to hunt antelope, SDB made the suggestion to make our organization official.
The association's charter was drafted by Tom Quinn Sr. at the bar of the Hotel Washington (32 E. Washington St) and outlined the club's purpose:
To protect and preserve wildlife and fish, lakes and streams,
To promote and encourage athletics among juveniles and juvenile organizations,
To promote and encourage good fellowship among members,
To own and operate a facility or facilities to afford the opportunity for personal contact, co-mingling, and socializing among members.
This is still our mission today, 70 years later. I took time to reflect today on the hundreds of Members that came before me that made our home-away-from-home that we love so much. We've overcame many challenges over the decades: fires, imminent closures, scandals, pandemics, dwindling membership, you name it. Other clubs in our community didn't fare as well as us and have disappeared. We are here, against all odds.
The Club's remarkable perseverance is an inspiration to me, and I wanted to take this moment to honor the past, as well as look to the future of our Club. Please join me in celebrating this occasion and raise your glass of whatever, as we say "cheers" to the Antelope Club! The best is yet to come!
Salute!
-Matthew J. Crouch, Club President
