The first boys club in Oakland was founded in June as the West Oakland Boys Recreation Center, operating from the basement of Cole School at Fifth and Grove Streets.
The club was incorporated as Oakland Boys Club in December, with supervision under the federal Work Projects Administration and sponsorship from the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Two new clubs opened: East Oakland Boys Club in a former telephone building with 206 boys joining the first month, and Filbert Street Boys Club at McClymonds High School, forming the foundation for future growth.
After receiving $2,400 from the Community Chest, the Filbert Street and East Oakland Boys Clubs merged in 1941 to form a unified Oakland Boys Club under Clifford D. Allen's leadership.
Gilbert D. Eaton became Executive Director, the East Oakland Clubhouse was purchased for $25,000, and the Leonard J. Meltzer Clubhouse was dedicated in 1951 with donated labor and materials.
In January 1950, Oakland Boys Club purchased 480 acres in Shasta County from Mrs. J. Volney Lewis to provide boys with a much needed and worthwhile summer activity away from the city. The camp-site was formerly the Blue and Gold Lair of the Bear, camp of the Alumni Association of the University of California.
After several leadership changes, Marion F. Sims made history in 1965 as the first boy member to become Executive Director, having joined at age 10 and worked his way up through the ranks.
A successful pilot program at Emerson Elementary led to the $252,500 Wallace W. Knox Clubhouse opening in 1985. In 1989, the organization became Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland, welcoming all youth.
Cal Stanley became Executive Director after Marion Sims stepped down. Partnerships with Oakland Housing Authority created three new branches: The Gardens (1993), Peralta (1995), and Coliseum (1997).
Veronica Fauntleroy became the first woman president in 1998. The seismically unsafe Ossian E. Carr Clubhouse was rebuilt as a $1.6 million facility, opening with 150 members and growing to 1,000 in six months.
After 31+ years, Cal Stanley retired as President & CEO. In October 2023, John Mascali became President & CEO (Burger King franchise background; leadership roles: FBI Citizens Academy, Mustang Soccer, HOA).
