Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
WILBERDING, Henry
WILBERDING, Henry. (Holdorf, Oldenburg, Germany, May 31, 1865--Dubuque, IA, Sept. 10, 1942). A clothier in Dubuque, Wilberding may be considered the person most responsible for the resurgence of the Boy Scout movement in Dubuque. This face is ironic because initially he was opposed to the organization in part because BOY SCOUTS wore uniforms that seemed to him to be militaristic. He was determined his sons would have nothing to do with the organization.
In 1916, while attending a tailor's convention in Philadelphia, Wilberding was caught in a rain without a coat or umbrella. Under such poor conditions, he met a Boy Scout with an umbrella and his feelings toward the organization changed. He returned to Dubuque, organized a group of businessmen, raised money and hired the first Scout executive.
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Source:
"How Scouts Grew in Dubuque," Telegraph Herald, January 31, 1960, p. 5