Helen Webb Harris facts for kids
Helen Webb Harris was an amazing woman who started the Wake-Robin Golf Club in 1937. This club is super important because it's the oldest golf club in the United States specifically for African-American women who love to play golf.
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A Dedicated Educator
Before she started the golf club, Helen Webb Harris worked as a teacher. She taught in schools in Washington, D.C., helping many students learn and grow.
Starting the Wake-Robin Golf Club
The very first meeting of the Wake-Robin Golf Club happened right at Helen's house! Thirteen women came together to start something special. They named the club after a beautiful wildflower called Wake-Robin.
Helen Webb Harris was the club's first president. Under her leadership, the club joined bigger golf groups like the United Golf Association and the Eastern Golf Association.
Fighting for Fair Play
In 1938, the Wake-Robin Golf Club took a big step. They wrote a letter, called a petition, to the Secretary of the Interior, Harold L. Ickes. They asked him to make public golf courses in Washington, D.C., open to everyone, no matter their race. This was a time when many places were still segregated, meaning Black and white people were kept separate.
Because of their efforts, Secretary Ickes approved building a new nine-hole golf course. It was built on an old trash dump and was named Langston Golf Course, opening in 1939.
The Wake-Robin Golf Club, along with another group called the Royal Golf Club, kept pushing for change. In 1941, Secretary Ickes finally ordered that all public golf courses should be open to everyone. This was a huge victory for fairness in sports!
Leading the Way
In 1947, Helen Webb Harris made history again. She was chosen as the first female president of the Eastern Golf Association, and she held that important job for two terms.
The Wake-Robin Golf Club also played a part in a bigger movement. They helped pressure the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) to change its "White-only" rule. This rule meant that only white golfers could be members. Thanks to people like Helen and groups like Wake-Robin, the PGA finally dropped this unfair rule in 1961.
Some of the important records and history of the Wake-Robin Golf Club are kept at Howard University.
Special Recognition
In 1973, Helen Webb Harris was honored for all her hard work. She was inducted into the National Afro‐American Golfers Hall of Fame.
To continue her legacy, the Helen Webb Harris Scholarship Fund was created in 2007. This fund helps students with their education, just as Helen helped others throughout her life.
