Part one of a six-part series celebrating significant moments in the 60-year history of FCA.
October 1954: FCA founding fathers Dr. Louis H. Evans, Dr. Roe Johnston, Don McClanen and Branch Rickey looking at a booklet produced by Guideposts introducing FCA.
November 10, 1954: Official chartering date of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Norman, Okla.
February 1955: FCA holds its first citywide assemblies and rallies in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Norman and Wilburton, Okla.
June 1955: Branch Rickey hosts an FCA rally in Pittsburgh with Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Vernon Law among the speakers. The event resulted in a $10,000 gift from Pittsburgh businessman Paul Benedum, putting FCA on solid financial ground.
January 1956: FCA citywide events in Denver result in a three-page article in Sports Illustrated, giving the organization its first exposure to the sports world.
August 1956: The first Fellowship of Christian Athletes National Conference is held in Estes Park, Colo.
January 1959: Michigan State athletic director Biggie Munn speaks at the NCAA Football Coaches Convention's FCA Breakfast, beginning the ministry’s presence at coaches conventions that continues today.
March 1959: The Christian Athlete, the precursor to Sharing The Victory and FCA Magazine, is first published.
August 1960: Lake Geneva, Wis., hosts the first FCA Camp outside of the annual camp held in Estes Park, Colo.
April 1961: FCA citywide events featuring Otto Graham are hosted in Springfield, Mass., marking the ministry’s first efforts in New England.
September 1962: Bob Stoddard is elevated from FCA Associate Director to Executive Director.
December 1963: Former Baylor University football player James Jeffrey succeeds Stoddard as FCA’s executive director.
Originally Published: January 2014