DETROIT

Detroit History Repeats
As K.C. Club Shuns Bloch

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM

Assistant Editor

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18

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1990

ansas City, Mo. — In
the early 1960s, Max
Fisher's name was
proposed for membership at
the exclusive Detroit Club, a
private organization found-
ed in 1882 and a bastion of
male power elite in the city.
Though proposed by one of
Detroit's most prominent
figures, Henry Ford II, Mr.
Fisher's application was not
accepted. It wasn't until
almost 10 years later, when
he was renominated by
retail magnate Joseph Hud-
son Jr., that Mr. Fisher was
admitted.
Most believed the reason
for the delay was Mr.
Fisher's religion. He is Jew-
ish.
Now, this scene apparently
is repeating itself in Kansas
City, Mo., where late last
week another prominent
Jewish figure was refused
membership in the swank
Kansas City Country - Club
— also presumably because
of his religion.
Representatives of the
country club insist the deci-
sion not to admit Henry
Bloch, chairman and chief
executive of H&R Block Inc.,
the largest tax-preparation
firm in the country, has
nothing to do with discrim-
ination.
"The decisions that are
made do not relate to re-
ligion," L. Chandler Smith,
president of the Kansas City
Country Club board of direc-
tors told The Kansas City
Star.
But at least one public fig-
ure — professional golfer
Tom Watson —believes
otherwise.
The decision not to admit
Mr. Bloch, 68, prompted Mr.
Watson to resign from the
Kansas City Country Club,
where he learned to play golf
and where he has been a
member for more than 20
years.
Mr. Watson's wife, Linda,
and his two children are
Jewish.
His spokesman said Mr.
Watson, 41, regards his res-
ignation a "personal
matter" and would not
comment on the situation.
Late last week Mr. Watson
told reporters he decided to
leave the 400-member club
"as a matter of conscience."
"It's not something that's
very appealing to me: the
possibility that I'm not

Henry Bloch:
No admittance.

welcome, that my family's
not welcome, because of
their religion," Mr. Watson
said.
The 94-year-old private
club, located in the Kansas
City suburb of Mission Hills,
Kan., has no formal exclu-
sionary policy. It also has no
black or Jewish members.
Mr. Bloch, whose member-
ship was proposed by
Hallmark Cards Inc. Chair-
man Donald Hall, declined
to comment.
Jewish leaders in Kansas
City said they were
dismayed by the decision not
to admit Mr. Bloch, who has
served on the boards of the
Kansas City Art Institute,
the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion, Menorah Medical
Center, the United Negro
College Fund and the Civic
Council of Greater Kansas
City, among others.
"It's a sad reminder that
we haven't come as far as we
think we have," said Judy
Hellman of the Jewish
Community Relations Coun-
cil.
Hallmark Cards Chair-
man Donald Hall did not
comment on the Kansas City
Country Club's decision
regarding Mr. Bloch. But
late last week, Hallmark
President Irvine Hockaday
Jr., a member of the Kansas
City Country Club, made a
public statement condemn-
ing the move.
"For any group to turn
such people down reflects
either a lack of awareness or
a real human tragedy," Mr.
Hockaday said.
Mr. Hockaday reportedly
is among a number of
prominent Kansas Citians
who will meet this week to
discuss changing the club's
policies.
Continued on Page 20

