In 1967, Herbert Hoover Boys Club was founded on the site of Sportsman’s Park. When the St. Louis Cardinal’s ballpark was moved to the new downtown stadium, Richard Amberg (then publisher of the Globe-Democrat newspaper) persuaded August A. Busch, Jr. and Anheuser-Busch Brewery to donate the property for use as a boys club. Amberg then initiated a capital campaign that built the Herbert Hoover Boys Club.
That capital campaign created a fund to maintain the building and established a free dental clinic as an additional benefit to its members. The Club offered athletic programs to boys residing in the surrounding neighborhoods. For the past forty three years, the Club has been at the forefront of youth development, working with young people from disadvantaged economic, social and family circumstances.
The Herbert Hoover Boys Club was named after former President, Herbert Hoover, a personal friend of Mr. Amberg and National Chairman of the Boys Clubs of America for 28 years. Mr. Hoover, who had been orphaned at the age of ten, spent most of his post-presidential years helping disadvantaged youngsters.
In 2012, Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club became Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. The Club changed its name to reflect the organization’s growing footprint and more strongly align the St. Louis program with the national brand, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) is dedicated to ensuring that our community's youngsters have greater access to quality programs and services that will enhance their lives and shape their futures. The Club offers programs in five core areas that provide youth with the opportunities to develop life skills that improve their prospects for success.
• Character and Leadership Development
• Education & Career Development
• Health & Life Skills
• The Arts
• Sports, Fitness and Recreation