Club History

Tall clubs in Chicago were started in 1940 and '41. The Tall Girls Club of Chicago originated first and was started by girls who lived, at that time, predominately on the North side of the city, Paramount Tall Girls Club was started by a group of girls from the Southwest side of Chicago in 1941. Their minimum age requirement was 17 and the minimum height was 5'7" tall. Their tallest member was only 6'1" tall. Their president, Lillian Low, encouraged all the members to enter the "Miss Windy City Contest". The "Miss Chicago" Personality Contest of 1942 selected the first tall club "queen" in Chicago at Paramount's first annual dance. Interest in a tall men s club had begun in 1941 but due to the war, it was short lived.

In January, 1946 Paramount Tall Girls sent out publicity to start a tall men's group along with the already established girls' club. At the first meeting of the men and women on February 6, 1946, it was decided to form a joint group and re-charter into Paramount Tall Club of Chicago … and so the fun began.

The first election of officers for this new club was as follows:

  • President: Ruth Stafford (Fastlake)
  • Vice President: Fred Reigel
  • Secretary: Leona Lange
  • Treasurer: Petty Trost

  • Sergeant at Arms: Bob Herschler & Eileen Oldenbittle (Reigel)

The height requirement of 5'10" for women and 6'2" for men was established with an age requirement of 18 years of age for women and 21 years of age for men. The entrance fee for all new members was $2.50 and the dues were 50¢ monthly. The first business meeting of the joint club was on March 4, 1946 at the Skyline Athletic Club at Randolph and Wells, 25th, fl. Even though Paramount had just been established in its present form, Paramount's Tall Tales was on Volume 3, issue 3 at that time with Rowena LaVine as editor. (One of the first events that the club attended on March 14, 1946 cost $6.00 per person and included dinner, dance, and drinks. Boy how times have changed!)

Paramount Tall Club became a charter member of the American Affiliation of Tall Clubs and membership continued to grow. The first tall club convention was in 1947 and held in Hollywood, California. Chicago hosted the 1948 convention while the 1949 convention was held in New York, '50 was in Bandera, Texas, and '51 was in St. Louis.

Paramount's first constitution was only two pages long and had the following provisions:

  • A member could not miss meetings for more than three months
  • or they would be dropped from the club,
  • No member could take part in a social activity until their
  • initiation fee was paid.
  • Two meetings were held per month with the second meeting each
  • month being used to conduct social activities.
  • Only seven members were needed at a meeting to constitute a quorum.

In 1947, the club's tallest member was 7' 4", Don Kohler, who was 23 years old at the time and also wore a size 23 shoe. The club itself had 100 members, By 1950, Don was 7' 7" tall, and by 1974, Don had been placed in the Guinness Book of World Records at a height of 8' 2" tall!!!!!

In early 1950, Paramount sponsored a Junior Club for tall teens of 14 years of age until old enough to be eligible for membership in Paramount. Although the idea was very good, the responsibility for the younger people (who had their own parties and even had a few marriages) became too great and the group was disbanded and absorbed into Paramount in November, 1951.

In the Late 40's and through the 50's, Paramount always held a fall dance to make money to cover the expenses for the year and also held a "Birthday Ball" every February, Monthly "socials" were held at various park fieldhouses throughout the city and dancing was done to the records played on the club equipment. Initiations were held yearly for all new members and were similar to fraternity or sorority initiations -- quite an experience.

Installation dinners (Inaugural Balls) were held-yearly as they are Today --- and likewise Christmas dinner dances and annual family picnics.

During the 50's and 60's, when there were many couples with children, the club held an annual Paramount Tall Club Children's Christmas Party with Santa Claus and presents, etc,

To Identify with a Christmas Cookie by Greg Riegel

  • "Back in the 1950's and early 60's, a season ritual in our family was going to Paramount Tall Club's Children Christmas Party for all us tikes 12 or under. We prepubescent half-pints used to wait for this event because it meant: 1) An extra present, 2) All the cake, ice cream, and pop we could stuff down. and most important, 3) A chance to be with a whole pile of tall siblings. The families that brought their offspring to these parties were pretty much the same; Petersens, Hartmanns, Kiborts, Jensens, Duseks, Danbombs, Colgans, and (naturally) Reigels, so we Little ones had a pretty good idea who was going to be running with us. These parties were usually at Austin Town Hall so we were pretty familiar with the territory. For the first half hour or so, the Paramount parents would politely say hello with we kids by their sides. Everyone would comment on how were in, and how much they looked like their parents. But then reins would loosen as the parents started talking amongst themselves and we kids would start finding excuses to chase each other around the area. Most of these miniature chase scenes produced little more than momentary fun, scuffed shoes, and an occasional skinned knee, but one run stands out very vividly in my mind. Someone was chasing me (I believe it was either Bruce Petersen or Bruce Danbomb) and, as usual, my legs were little blurs as I blasted across the big room's floor. I was planning on rushing through the side doors and out into what I thought was an unused hall. My hands grabbed the door jam and I swung around the corner only to run smack into a pair of shins. At that age, had I plowed into a normal tall person I would have, at the worst, hit a thigh but no, these were shins I was running into. As I rubbed my little head, I looked down to a pair of black wing-tipped shoes, size 24. From high up in what I considered to be the stratosphere, a bespeckled face peered down at me with a smile that I was sure meant he was considering me as a side dish for the evening meal. I quickly threw my little legs in reverse and streaked back into the main room not stopping until I was safely with the parents. My father quietly listened to my stammering explanation after which he took me over and introduced me to all 8'2" of Don Kolher. I soon found out that what I had thought was a hungry grin was really a smile of kindness but for just a moment, I had known what Christmas cookies feels like."

Paramount's activities were many and varied-as they are today … progressive dinners, dances, picnics, winter picnics, etc. The Club also had a very active bowling League for many years in the '50's and 60's.

In February, 1960, Paramount expanded the annual Birthday Ball into a weekend activity, and invited all the other clubs to attend - so was born Paramount's Weekend.

In September, 1961 Paramount raised the age requirements for women to 21 years of age to conform with the new alcohol beverage laws and this age requirement has remained to this date.

Paramount has always been active in the American Affiliation of Tall Clubs and Tall Clubs International (the AATC changed its name to Tall Clubs International in December of 1966.) Besides hosting the 1948 convention, Paramount hosted the 1975 Pre-Convention held over the July 4th. weekend, This was to get people in the right frame of mind for the convention held in Brainerd, MN during the week that followed. Paramount also hosted the 1978 convention whose theme was "Best of Both Worlds". This theme was chosen for the fact that half of the convention was held in the city (The Water Tower Hyatt in downtown Chicago) and the Last part of the convention was held in the country (Brown's Lake Resort in Burlington, WI.)

Paramount held the position of Executive Board club a few times during the 1960's and was Alternate Executive Board in 1983-84.

  • "I would like to thank Fred and Eileen Reigel, Greg Reigel, Bob and Jan Mann, and Ellen Consdorf for their help in putting this brief history together. I hope everyone has enjoyed this information and has a great time at our FORTY YEARS OF FUNNIES weekend."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PARAMOUNT
Dan Barszcz
President
Paramount Tall Club of Chicago
(1986)