The Enduring Legacy of the Detroit Athletic Club: Driving the Motor City

Founded in 1887, the Detroit Athletic Club left an indelible stamp on the city even as it was helping that city find its place in the country at large. Always a powerhouse for individual and team amateur athletics, the DAC helped give its members the strength to serve as soldiers and compete as Olympians. They fueled the manufacturing frenzy that created the Motor City and brought home the professional sports teams that were its due. In this chronicle of the DAC's long history, readers will discover the unique world of a private club that remains one of the finest in the world, an enduring home to community leaders, amateur athletes and one of Detroit's architectural jewels.

Mary Rodrique is a contributing writer for the DAC News. A native Detroiter and a journalism graduate (Phi Beta Kappa) of Wayne State University, she has written numerous magazine and newspaper articles on topics of historic interest. She worked as a newspaper editor and writer for several years before joining the Detroit Athletic Club staff in 2002.

Ken Voyles is editor and publisher of the award-winning DAC News magazine, the longest published monthly magazine in Michigan. A journalism graduate of Wayne State University and native Detroiter, he spent more than twenty-five years in the newspaper business throughout southeast Michigan before joining the DAC in 1999. He is an award-winning writer and photographer. This is his second published work of history.