The Summit Club - An Early History - By William J. Reinke
Who, when, and what was involved in forming the Summit Club of South Bend? This brief writing will answer these questions from the memory of one who saw and was involved “at the revolution,” a term purloined from Peggy Noonan’s book on Ronald Reagan for reasons which shall appear.
With a small coterie of fellow investors, Lex B. Wilkinson formed American Investment Company of South Bend, Inc. Its objective was to purchase the American Bank & Trust Company located at the northwest corner of Michigan and Washington Streets. In order to do this, Lex first resigned his position at The Associates, a South Bend based NYSE company which was the world’s third largest independent finance company. (American Bank & Trust was on the market because sellers had to raise funds to pay for defending Candace Mosler of Texas from a charge of having murdered her husband, who was a major shareholder of that bank.)
On July 3, 1967, the new American Bank owners closed on purchasing the old Oliver Hotel, located precisely one block west of the bank. We razed it and began constructing a 25-story skyscraper at that site for a new bank office building, hotel, and parking garage. The new building was modeled after one in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But the architect failed to take into account that it snows in Indiana. Snow melts from cars in parking garages, so water drains should be provided. They were not, initially. Drains were eventually installed, but at a higher cost after the building was in use.
To top off the new building for use as a club tenant, Lex requested his attorney, John L. “Jack” Carey (a partner in what is now Barnes & Thornburg) to incorporate “Summit Club of South Bend, Inc.” Jack obtained a corporate charter May 25, 1967, more than a month before the Oliver Hotel realty closing because, as he recently recalled, the number of club liquor licenses available for transfer was very limited. Such a license was procured from the old Laurel Club at least three years before it could be used.
Fort Wayne already had a “Summit Club” atop its tallest building, where the name might be more appropriate as Fort Wayne enjoyed prior claim to being identified as the “Summit City.” “So what?” Lex responded when this was pointed out. “I like the name, and it fits well since our new building will be about twice as high as the next tallest building in South Bend.”
And so was formed in 1967, on paper at least, South Bend’s Summit Club by a so-called Founding Board of Directors and A Formation Committee, all as later memorialized by bronze plaques mounted along the main corridor of the club. But it would be another four years (plaque dated 1971) before the Summit Club of South Bend Inc.’s 23-man Board of Directors really got going.
Why the four year delay? For a couple of good reasons. First, it took some time to design and build the 25-story South Bend skyscraper. Second, and here comes the “revolution” part of our story: perhaps it should come as no surprise that not everyone was favorably disposed for the new Summit Club to succeed. Indeed, at least two competing banks were quite hostile to the notion of housing a successful club atop the bank building of a new competitor. How this dichotomy played out is an important chapter to the history of the Summit Club.
By way of background, when construction began on the new building, most of us were also loyal members of the Indiana Club, which was located in a large two story building at 320 West Jefferson Blvd, just west of the WSBT Radio and Television building. The Indiana Club was founded way back in 1893. At the time of the events related here, South Bend’s Indiana Club was touted as being the oldest continuous club in the whole state of Indiana – having existed even longer in time than either the prestigious Columbia Club or Indianapolis Athletic Club, both located in our state’s capitol.
So it was proposed that the Indiana Club simply move and occupy the 25th floor space reserved for the infant “Summit Club,” which would happily abort its existence in favor of the more senior and well-established club. The Indiana Club board of directors created a committee to investigate and recommend whether it should make the move or stay put and undertake alterations and renovations at the old club site. This august committee was chaired by one of its own directors, George R. Murray, CPA, and included Karl G. King III, also a CPA, and several others.
Local architect Edwin D. Van Ryn was retained to make plans for the remodeling alternative, which he personally favored at the outset. But no sooner did Ed begin his work than he encountered a major obstacle. Just to bring the old building up to current Building Code would require more than $100,000 of electrical and plumbing work alone – and that was before undertaking any remodeling and renovation work. Ed concluded the prudent route was for the Indiana Club to move to the 25th floor of the new bank building under construction. Work by other committee members reached a similar conclusion, whereupon the Indiana Club Board of Directors recommended a move to the Summit Club. In the fall of 1970, the Indiana Club took a vote of its members, and decided by a margin of three to one (75%) to move.
Dissenters gathered their forces. “What would happen to diners if a fire broke out in the new building, since no South Bend fire truck ladders extend up 25 floors?” was one rhetorical question bantered about. “Where would diners go in case of a nuclear attack?” was another. So a meeting to reconsider was held in the middle of February, 1971 – a month when many members were out of town enjoying warmer climes. But the climate remained warm in South Bend that winter, or at least it did so figuratively. This time, by a lesser margin of two to one (67%) of members present, the initial vote to relocate in the fall of 1970 was reaffirmed. Amazingly, the Indiana Club board of directors decided to pay deference to the one-third of the members who refused to move, and claiming to be acting “in the best interests of the club,” decided the Indiana Club would remain in its old quarters.
But the die was cast. The movement to organize and install a Summit Club tenant atop the new skyscraper began in earnest. In the early spring of 1971, as part of a general membership drive for the Summit Club, a cocktail party with several bars and catered hors d’oeurves was arranged. As recollected by George Murray:
“We all had to proceed to the 25th floor in an outside construction elevator and got off to a barren concrete floor with concrete pillars. No decorations or finery, just stark concrete [and glass windows]. But I will never forget that from that height I saw thousands of trees in South Bend that heretofore I never knew existed. It was really a nice looking city!”
So the Summit Club of South Bend Inc.’s 23-man Board now faced the real tasks of employing an architect (the same Ed Van Ryn who had reported to the Indiana Club) to design the interior of the 25th floor; interviewing and selecting a nationally known professional consultant and operations manager; revising by-laws for membership criteria and dues structure; developing an operations budget; negotiating a lease; arranging for borrowing funds sufficient to “build out” the 25th floor with partitioning; interior decorating, selection of kitchen equipment, purchasing furniture, deciding upon wall cover, electrical fixtures, and the like. Even selections from a wide range of china, glassware, silverware settings and minutiae had to be attended to. Who became responsible for arranging and deciding all of this?
As confirmed by the 1971 plaque on the Summit Club wall where they are called “Governors,” the Board assigned those tasks to a committee of its five officers:
- George R. Murray, Chairman, then a partner in M.O.Wolfe & Co, C.P.A;
- Joseph D. Sharp, Treasurer, then a partner in Coopers & Lybrand;
- William J. Reinke, Secretary and law partner in what is now Barnes & Thornburg;
- Thomas P. Bergin as Vice Chairman of House, then in charge of the University of Notre Dame Center for Continuing Education; and
- Lloyd G. Waterson, Vice Chairman of Membership and then head of the South Bend Credit Bureau.
The work of putting the Summit Club together and flushing out its real existence became a part-time job during the next two years for each of these officers.
It was not all smooth sailing. The old Indiana Club continued, as did the pressure of some of the dissenters who did not want Summit to succeed. A senior partner in my own law firm asked me privately, but pointedly: “Bill, do you really think it wise for one of us to jump ship from loyalty to the Indiana Club and perhaps hasten its demise?” I replied that historically wherever a new high-rise club starts up and competes with an older established ground-floor club, the result is pre-ordained in that the new high-rise club wins and the older ground-floor club loses. So the question is not who would win should the Indiana Club fight the fledgling Summit Club. Rather the only question is whether or not our law firm should exercise a role in forming the new club?
With that kind of pressure to succeed, small wonder the task became a part-time job for all five of us. Simply put, we could not afford to fail. One self-imposed rule at the outset helped: no libations served or consumed before or during our deliberations. John Barleycorn may be a boon companion after work is finished, but we had observed that he makes a terrible business partner. Each of us had seen both businesses and clubs fail because of him.
Did we make mistakes?
Of course we did. One was the purchase and installation of a 50-gallon whole milk cooler and dispenser. Based on membership goals and dining space, our national consultant figured a 50-gallon milk dispenser was necessary – failing to take into account the club’s “restaurant” atop a 25-story building would primarily serve adults, while serving children to a far lesser extent. In no way could we sell this much milk.
But through hard work and good luck, we also avoided mistakes that could have been far more costly. For example, a visit to our namesake “Summit Club” in Fort Wayne disclosed not one person was using its vaunted and expensive athletic exercise and conditioning facility. Conclusion: South Bend needed to rent only one floor. There was no need to build out and occupy an exercise facility on an adjoining floor as Fort Wayne had done. That fortunate decision helped us to avoid what would have been a very expensive financial albatross for the new club, from the standpoints of both initial construction cost and high rent, not to mention subsequent operations and maintenance expenses.
Another rule we inserted in By-Laws of the new Summit Club was to provide for staggered three year term limits on our Board. A periodic changing of the guard provides for a growing body of loyal alumni, whereas we had all witnessed the deleterious inbreeding consequences of self-perpetuating boards who fail to turnover with fresh people and new ideas. Such boards become stale, board positions become a right rather than a privilege, and younger members look elsewhere for opportunities denied them by entrenched old-timers.
From the beginning we felt that a new club atop the city’s tallest building should be treated as a community asset. To this end, several early key decisions helped ensure continuing success and community involvement of the Summit Club over the years:
- We succeeded in actively soliciting minorities to join as charter members. While this is very commonplace today, be assured it was very new and different back in the 1970’s. Also then a novelty, we solicited from adjoining counties leading business and professional people as potential members, but at a lower cost to them to reflect their anticipated lesser use because of travel distances. Commonplace today, this also was a new idea back then.
- What a great place to view the entire city and its environs while dining atop its tallest building! Before the Summit Club first opened, the decision was made to offer honorary free memberships (no initiation fee or monthly dues while in office) for the heads of all our local colleges and universities, both mayors of Mishawaka and South Bend, and chiefs of Committee of 100 and Chamber of Commerce. So when one of our several colleges and universities has a potential new faculty person visit from out of town, for example, or the Chamber wishes to entertain a businessman who is considering relocating here, the host need not explain how South Bend got its name. Looking out a window atop the tallest building in town, one can actually see the south bend in the St. Joseph River. When a visitor inquires about the availability of medical care, he can actually see the answer by gazing down at the multiple hospital complexes below. All of this….and with the golden dome of Notre Dame impressively in view as a backdrop. This limited honorary membership tradition continues today. Both our community and club are better for it.
- Not one of us officers had ever operated a club, restaurant, or bar. So we decided to hire a company experienced in those fields. We advertised for bids nationally. Of many applicants, several were invited to make live presentations to us, including Stouffers and Club Corporation of America. The company finally selected also helped design the build-out of the 25th floor, which was a wise decision. Karl King recalls this cautionary advice from one of the presenters which supported our actions to retain professional management:
“Private clubs run like nobody’s business because they are nobody’s business.”
- As predicted, the Indiana Club passed out of existence. But we extended an olive branch and did not crow: All Indiana Club members were offered the same reduced initiation fee for charter membership and listing in the Summit Club as were the original incorporators and other early members. So ended peacefully “the revolution” referred to in the opening paragraph to this essay. The Summit Club opened for business with 336 chartered members, a full listing of whom is intended to follow this history.
Key to the phenomenal growth in membership was the effort of John Stancati, who brought in more new members than everyone else on the membership committee combined.
Are all of the rules and principles recited here from our early history still extant? No. Times and circumstances change. Not all lessons from the past remain applicable. Illustration: the initial costs for building out the 25th floor required borrowing in excess of $75,000. Our national consultant recommended that we amortize that loan over a period of ten or fifteen years,
doing no major renovation or remodeling during that time. Then, at the end of that period, with the loan paid off, we should gut the entire floor, take out a new loan, and start all over.
Fortunately we followed most of this advice. A mortgage-burning ceremony climaxed the timely loan pay off. Also we have since remodeled and refurbished the premises just a few times as recommended. But the stained oak partitioning is so warm and enduring that it remains unchanged even after almost a half-century of heavy use. Morale: advice and rules from the past need not be followed blindly in order for success to continue.
- WJR, December, 2008
with appreciation for input from Karl G. King III and former Summit Club chairs George R. Murray (1971-2), John Stancati (1975-6), and Stephen A. Seall (1976-7)
CHARTER MEMBERS
A-C
Dean C. Adair, Donald L. Adair, Conrad R. Adams II, Harry D. Alfrey, Earl M. Allison, Russell G. Ashbaugh Jr., Claude Ashby, Harry Bailie D.D.S., Gerald J. Ball, Bruce R. Bancroft, Charles H. Barrett, Frank E. Bateman, George E. Bauer, Roy L. Beck, Thomas P. Bergin, Bernard B. Berman, Robert G. Binder, Cecil E. Black, William Stephen Black, Robert R. Bock, James I. Bostick, Dwain F. Bower, John B. Brehmer, Lee Dennis Briggs, Edmund F. Brown, Michael G. Browning, Thomas Buck, Charles B. Burkhart, Mrs. Byers A. Burlingame, Keith O. Burton, Richard W. Butler, George R. Callantine, E. Douglas Campbell, Murray C. Campbell, John L. Carey, O.C. Carmichael Jr., Lyle Carnick, Hugh E. Cassidy O.D., Ted Cichonski, Juan E. Cintron Jr., Daniel A. Clark, Thomas L. Clark, Richard Cleary, Michael A. Cohen, Charles W. Cole, Jr., James F. Connaughton, Gordon C. Cook, Keith D. Corson, Thomas H. Corson, Robert Courtney, F.A. Cover, Samuel G. Creden,
D-G
Leslie J. Daniel, Foster W. Daugherty, William H. Dausey, Paul Davidson, Warren A. Deahl, Arthur J. Decio, Matthew R. Dee, Myrl W. Deitch Jr., Ronald A. De Laere, Thomas W. Dennig, Dan B. Dickens, Joseph F. Dillon Sr., James M. Dincolo, John J. Dobson, James E. Donlan, Mrs. Charlotte Dunbar, James H. Dunfee, R.W. Dunfee, Bernard E. Edwards, Edwin S. Ehlers, Robert A. Ehlers, Clifford N. Eldridge, Jack E. Ellis, Kenneth W. Erhardt, Carl R. Erickson, G. Walter Erickson M.D., Philip J. Faccenda, Henry Feferman, Alvin B. Feuer, Samuel R. Feuer, Joseph E. Fischoff, Mrs. Enid H. Fisher, Eugene G. Fogarty, Gordon H. Ford, William Fox, E.J. Franger, J. Edward French, Millard Fries, Edward E. Furry, William H. Furry, Charles H. Gableman, Richard L. Gagnon, George E. Garvey, Van E. Gates, Harold Gerring, Dan Gibson, James C. Gibson, Jerry Gidley, Paul D. Gilbert, Stanley S. Gilbert, Roy E. Gillia, Charles O. Glaub, John B. Gordon, W.G. Gordon, William J. Gorman, Arthur P. Goulet, John P. Gourley, Fred H. Graeber, R. Douglas Grant, Edward J. Gray, Harry E. Greer, Edward G. Grunawalt.
H-L
Charles W. Hahn, Maurice S. Hahn, Joseph E. Hannan, Michael J. Hannigan, Jr., Larry D. Harding, John R. Harman, Paul D. Hass, David C. Hay Jr., Ralph F. Hay, Joseph P. Hayden, John M. Hazlitt, John C. Head, Brian Hedman, John F. Helmer M.D., Robert Hepler, Edward L. Heyde M.D., Thomas L. Hickey Jr., Charles C. Hinds, Lee M. Hoffman, Wayne Holleman, Wayne R. Howard, John L. Huebert, Donald J. Hughes, Charles B. Huizenga, James L. Hullinger, Edward J. Hussey, Harold M. Isbell, Milton A. Johnson, Phillip F. Johnson, Francis Jones, Miss Anne M. Jordanich, Fay E. Kaiser, J. George Karras, Karl G. King Jr., Karl G. King III, Ralph C. Kinyon, Ronald F. Kloska, William J. Kluessner, Harold F. Klute, Henry R. Kope, Leon Kowalski Jr., F. Richard Kramer, James C. LaBrash, Jared L. Lake, J. Leonard Lamb, James A. Lang, Robert L. Lehman, Judd Leighton, Herbert O. Leipold, Gerhard Lengemann, Richard A. Lepanen, Vern L. Lester, Harold J. Leyes, J. Patrick Leyes, Frederick H. Link, David A. Lord, Harlan A. Lusk, Larry Luther, Richard M. Lynch,
M-P
J. Allan Maclean, George C. Makris, Edward L. Martin, Lee Martin, David L. Matthews, James R. McCaffery, Edward T. McCarthy, Michael T. McClellan, Corley B. McFarland M.D., Mrs. Caroline McGann, John J. McGann Jr., Warren E. McGill, Fred J. McGrew, William F. McNally, Gordon E. Medlock, Roanld S. Menges, Charles E. Mertins, F. Dale Metzger, Frank E. Miller, James F. Miller, Joseph J. Miller Jr., Ralph H. Miller, Richard W. Miller, Robert L. Miller, W. Scott Miller, John E. Monahan, Brett Morse, Charles T. Morse, Donald R. Mossey, Theordore L. Mullett, George R. Murray, Richard L. Murray, Thomas L. Murray, Bernhard H. Neitzel, Robert E. Nemeth, Fred Nesbitt, H. Theodore Noell, Roland Obenchain, John J. O’Hanlon, Joseph J. Oletti, Charles A. Olmsted, Frank O’Malley, Frank Palmer, Gene L. Palmer, Kent R. Palmer, John G. Parnell, James F. Peacock, Patrick A. Pellouchoud, James L. Piety, Andrew S. Place, Robert B. Place, John F. Plouff, Lawrence J. Plym, Cecil E. Pond, Rex Paul Porter, John J. Powers, Kenneth A. Priebe.
R-S
Samuel Raitzen, Mariano Randazzo, William R. Rasmussen, Fred H. Raynor, Rudolph Reiners, Harold G. Reinke, William J. Reinke, Jacob G. Richards, Robert E. Richardson, Milton S. Ries, Thomas Ringenberg, Carmelo Ritschard, Larry J. Ritzenthaler, John M. Roelke, Roy L. Roelke, John Roncz, R. Kent Rowe, James E. Rudasics, Keith E. Rupel, Howard E. Rush, David L. Rutter, Vernon R. Sailor, Norman F. Schafer, Charles G. Schilling, William R. Schleman, Arthur R. Schlifke, Alfred M. Scholz, Allen E. Schrager, George A. Schramm, Henry F. Schricker Jr., Peter L. Schumacher, Dennis J. Schwartz, Stephen A. Seall, Samuel Ralph Shaffer, Robert J. Shalk, Joseph D. Sharp, Sam M. Sharp, James F. Shea, Verl Sheets, William S. Shields, S.M. Shobert, Walter W. Simmons, Alfred E. Smith, David V. Smith, Irving J. Smith, Ralph B. Sollitt, John Stancati, William R. Steinmetz, Donald P. Stone, Richard W. Stone, David Stout, Richard W. Stout, William P. Struever, J.T. Strzelecki, Frank E. Sullivan, Clarence M. Surges, Roland R. Swanson,
T-Z
Elmer H. Tepe, Roy Tepe, Cecil E. Thompson, William Thorne, Robert A. Tillett, Mrs. Ben (Sydell) Traub, Richard M. Treckelo, Murray C. Trescott, George Turnock, William Van DerBerg, William E. Van Fleit, Rene Van Overberg, Edwin D. Van Ryn, Jack R. Von Gillern, William E. Voor Jr., Bobby Lee Wade, Lawrence E. Wagner, Thomas L. Walling, Donald F. Walter, Lloyd G. Waterson, B. Michael Watkins, Charles L. Watson Jr., George W. Weber, Charles Weidner Jr., Philip Weisberger, David B. Weisman, Robert C. Weisweaver, Warren L. Wellin, William A. Welsheimer, Warren G. Wheeler Jr., Richard E. White, John A. Whitehead, John R. Wiley, Agatha Wilhelm M.D., Lex B. Wilkinson, Clyde E. Williams Jr., John K. Wilson, Loyal I. Wilson, Jack D. Winkleblack, Marquam O. Wolfe, Morris M. Wolff, C.J. Wood, Jack M. Wright D.D.S., Mrs. Winifred Jaqua Wulf, Robert J. Yagley, George A. Zeltner, Robert Ziker, H. Tedrick Zimmer, George Zirkle.