The United States Croquet Association has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the J.E.R. (Bob) and Linda Chilton Foundation to support Preserving the History of American Rules Croquet, an oral-history and archival initiative being undertaken in conjunction with the USCA's 50th anniversary in 2027.
The project will professionally record interviews with individuals who participated in the formative decades of American Rules croquet and will seek to preserve photographs, films, newspaper articles, correspondence and other historical materials that help tell the story of the game's development.
The complete interviews and transcripts will be preserved for future generations, but the project is intended to reach well beyond the archive. Material will be shared with the croquet community through USCA digital platforms in forms that may include full or edited interviews, shorter excerpts, thematic programs combining several voices, photographs and other archival materials. Portions may also be featured in Croquet News and other USCA communications.
The precise editorial formats will evolve as the interviews and historical materials are collected, allowing the stories themselves to help determine how they are ultimately presented.
Beverley Cardo, President of the United States Croquet Association, said:
"As the USCA approaches its 50th anniversary, there could not be a more meaningful time to capture and preserve the stories of those who helped shape our history. We are deeply grateful to Missy Chilton and the Bob and Linda Chilton Foundation for making Preserving the History of American Rules Croquet possible. This project will help ensure that this important history is preserved and shared with today's members and with generations of croquet players to come."
An English Connection at the Beginning of the American Story
The history the project seeks to preserve begins well before the USCA's founding in 1977.
By 1966, American players Homer Landon, Henri White and Walter Margulies traveled to England to compete against the Hurlingham Croquet Club. The following year, an English team traveled to the United States for competition at the Westhampton Mallet Club. These early exchanges began an important transatlantic relationship during the formative years of American croquet.
That English-American connection provides a fitting starting point for the project. The project is working with Alison Maugham in England to explore interviews with individuals who can provide firsthand perspectives on the English-American croquet connection.
A larger series of interviews with approximately 20 individuals who participated in the development and history of American Rules croquet is planned in Palm Beach County during USCA Hall of Fame activities in February 2027.
Bob Kroeger, USCA Hall of Fame member and longtime historian of American croquet, said:
"Much of the early history of American Rules croquet lives in the memories of the people who were there. Those recollections, personalities and stories add dimensions that tournament records and written histories simply cannot capture. Recording them now, together with the photographs, films and other materials that survive, will preserve an important part of our game's history."
Preserving More Than Interviews
The initiative will also seek historically significant photographs, films, video, newspaper articles, correspondence and other original materials held in private collections. Several substantial collections have already been identified for possible inclusion in the project.
These materials can provide visual and documentary context for the recorded recollections and may ultimately be incorporated into edited videos, online presentations, Croquet News features and other historical content.
The Foundation's support has particular significance because of Bob Chilton's connection to American Rules croquet, the historical materials he preserved and his love of the game.
Missy Chilton, speaking for the Bob and Linda Chilton Foundation, said:
"Bob Chilton cared deeply about croquet and about the people and friendships that grew around the game. He wanted the game and history of American Six Wicket croquet not only preserved, but shared in a way our croquet community and those yet to join can enjoy and learn from. The Bob and Linda Chilton Foundation is pleased to support a project that will help keep those stories, photographs, and memories alive for today and tomorrow."
The project grew out of the USCA's planning for its 2027 semicentennial. Its purpose is not simply to safeguard historically important interviews and materials, but to make that history available in forms that today's croquet community and future generations can see, hear, read and enjoy.
About the United States Croquet Association
Founded in 1977, the United States Croquet Association is the national governing body for organized croquet in the United States. Its mission is to promote awareness, development and enjoyment of croquet in America by providing education, resources and governance for the sport at all levels.
About the J.E.R. and Linda Chilton Foundation
The J.E.R. and Linda Chilton Foundation was founded in 2000. "Bob" Chilton and his wife, Linda, were well-known Dallas philanthropists. He was also a prominent businessman and international sportsman. The Foundation carries on their charitable legacy by supporting medical advances in Alzheimer's research, assisting cancer patients through the Cancer Alliance of Health and Hope, and funding programs that foster the national game of American Croquet, a sport dearly loved by Bob Chilton. Humanitarian assistance includes the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the YMCA of Rockwall County, Texas, among others.