OUR HISTORY

A pillar of Des Moines' Black community, the Willkie House legacy dates to 1917 when it hosted the War Recreation Board's leisure programs for Black servicemen in the city. Its name and function changed in the early years, as did its location. Renamed the Negro Community Center in 1933, by 1935 it served 70% of Des Moines' Black community and 124 organizations, priding itself on activities for the whole family. The need for a larger, modern facility was clear by 1945, and the Gardner Cowles Foundation and 767 Black citizens and organizations committed $138,000 for its construction. Led by Lillian Edmunds, the new facility opened on June 17, 1951, as the Willkie House, named for Wendell Willkie, an American statesmen who had called for equality of opportunity for all races. The new building included a library and a gym (well known for years for its dances and roller skating) and was expanded in 1983. With time, the Willkie House's mission evolved to a focus on youth development.