On October 10, 1927 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, eleven young men affiliated with show business met at the William Penn Hotel to enjoy each other’s company. The gentlemen decided to name their group “The Variety Club” because they represented all the facets of this business. The Charter members of the Variety Club of Pittsburgh were: John H. Harris, the first president, Ralph Harrison, David Brown, George Lai, Harold S. Dunn, James G. Balmer, John J. Maloney, J. Edward Fontaine, John Morin, Jack White, and John T. McGreevey. The Variety Club received its official charter from the State of Pittsburgh on October 18, 1928. The men of the Variety Club helped their friends in show business and made contributions to many different civic organizations. After a year, the Variety Club hosted its first banquet on November 11, 1928, “under the big top” in the grand ballroom of the Will Penn Hotel complete with circus acts, sideshows, popcorn and cotton candy. The insignia for the affair was a mustached “barker” wearing a high silk hat. This enormously successful event was the beginnings of Variety’s circus tradition: the Barker was the Club’s official logo, the Club was called a “Tent,” its members were “barkers,” the president, the “chief barker,” the treasurer, “dough boy” and the secretary, “Property Master.”

Variety’s destiny began on the evening of December 24, 1928, when the manager of the Sheridan Square Theatre in Pittsburgh found an infant abandoned in the theatre with a note saying:

“Please take care of my baby. Her name is Catherine. I can no longer take care of her. I have eight others. My husband is out of work. She was born on Thanksgiving Day. I have always heard of the goodness of show business and I pray to God that you will look out for her.”

- A Heart-Broken Mother

The baby was entrusted to the Roselia Foundling Asylum until a decision could be made about her future care. A thorough search by the police with the help of the local media found no trace of the mother, so the Variety Club members agreed to act as her “godfathers” and underwrite her support and education. In honor of the Variety Club and the Sheridan Theatre, the baby was named “Catherine Variety Sheridan.” The Variety Club members were proud that a distraught mother entrusted her child to people in show business so they took the responsibility for Catherine’s care seriously. After five years they came to the conclusion that Catherine should have a permanent home with loving parents. After considering over 300 applications for adoption, Catherine was given to a couple living away from the Pittsburgh area, and her anonymity was preserved throughout the years. As an adult, Catherine served her country as an officer in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, a registered nurse in Vietnam and eventually married and raised a family of four children.

The humane act by the founding fathers of Variety to care for Catherine Variety Sheridan became the inspiration for the members of the Variety Club of Pittsburgh. The publicity from her story, which was front-page news across the nation, motivated other men in show business to help the needy children in their communities and for the development of this small group into a multi-national children’s charity with chapters in 14 countries around the world.

Variety International is actively providing assistance to countless children of all ages regardless of race, creed or color in Australia, Barbados, Canada, Channel Islands, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.

The year was 1935. Claude Ezell, one of Texas’ leading showmen, made a suggestion to a group of business associates that they should apply for a Variety Club Charter. This was at a time in which the country was in the middle of what history now calls The Great Depression. But, when everything was bleak, Mr. Ezell saw a reason start this Club. Through his initial vision, and the hard work of R.J. O’Donnell, the Variety Club of Dallas was started.

Within the Aldolphus Hotel, J.B. Dugger, Buddy Harris, C.E. Hilger, Mike Rice, Harold Robb, Paul Scott, J.B. “Jack” and W.G. “Bill” Underwood, Wallace Walthall, Ed Wilson and R.J. himself became the eleven charter members for the Club. They were soon joined by other local business leaders such as Skipper Cherry, John Rowley and Julius Schepps.

Their club was not just a social business leader’s luncheon circle. No, their club had another purpose. These men all shared a common vision. This vision was that children who were affected by poverty, abuse, neglect as well as those with illnesses and disabilities should be given the same opportunities other children had within their communities.

Over the past 70 years, Dallas has changed. The people and the programs of the Club have changed. Its name has changed (from Variety Club of Dallas to Variety the Children’s Charity of North Texas). But, what has not changed…is its desire to help children. The vision that those eleven men, and others like them, brought to the Adolphus Hotel in 1935 is still evident in everything we do.

Variety has a long history of helping children in North Texas. Through support of local children’s charities, to ensuring hospitals have adequate medical facilities and access to much needed items, to providing underprivileged children with their very own bicycle, to ensuring that children have a reason to celebrate over the holiday season…Variety meets is mission.

Today, Variety the Children’s Charity of North Texas (a.k.a. Tent 17) is still dedicated to promoting and protecting the health and well-being of children all across North Texas. While we are still the “Heart of Show Business,” our members and volunteers now come not only from the entertainment industry…but also from a “variety” of business, industry and professional sources.