Hall of Fame Luncheon Club

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club meets each Monday from early September through mid-May. Members arrive beginning at 9:30 a.m. Lunch is served at approximately 11:00 a.m., the program begins at noon and concludes at 1:00 p.m. 

Under this program with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, each member of the club will be entitled to free museum admission for one year, Sept. 1-Aug. 31. Also, Malone University, the University of Mount Union and Walsh University offer free admission to their regular-season athletic events with your membership card. 

Luncheon Club meets Mondays
at Tozzi's on 12th* (4210 12th Street NW)

330-477-7515

(* Meetings held elsewhere noted on schedule.)

Some of the club highlights include:

• Top quality speakers from the sports world
• 35-week schedule
• Widely-regarded as the finest luncheon club in the country!
• Membership helps support the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Great lunches at affordable prices! ($15.00 for members; $20.00 for non-members)
• Increased club awareness
• Members receive annual admission pass to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Free admission to Malone College and Walsh University athletic events
• Annual golf outing

Memberships for the season remain just $40.00 and are on sale before and after the Monday programs.
 

For membership information:
 

Please contact Club Secretary Jim Lindesmith at 330-452-6138

or

Please contact Speaker Committee Chairman R. J. Van Almen at 330-685-4605

or

Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club
c/o Pro Football Hall of Fame
2121 George Halas Drive NW
Canton, OH 44708

or

To enjoy your membership immediately, you may fill out your application at your first luncheon and give it to Club Secretary Jim Lindesmith along with a check for $40.00 payable to the Hall of Fame Luncheon Club.

Enjoy your membership in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club.
 

2023-24 Speakers

September

11: Kenny Roda and Jeff Turk — Kenny and JT Show (WHBC)

18: Tim Alcorn — Cleveland Cavaliers radio play-by-play announcer

25: Matt Underwood — Cleveland Guardians TV play-by-play announcer

October

2: Branson Wright — Accomplished filmmaker, producer, writer and director. "Believeland," "Women of Troy" and "King of the Block"

9: TBD — Pro Football Hall of Famer at the Hall of Fame, Nash Family Event & Conference Center

16: Mike Doss — Former state, national and Super Bowl champion

23: Jim Tressel — 5-time national champion football coach and 8-time national Coach of the Year

30: Ray Freeman — Former NFL player. 2023 inductee to National High School Football Hall of Fame

November

6: Greg Campe — Oakland University head basketball coach; 675 wins (third most wins by active coach at current school)

13: TBD — Pro Football Hall of Famer at the Hall of Fame, Nash Family Event & Conference Center

20: Don Hertler — 2019 Ohio High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee

27: Doug Ute — Ohio High School Athletic Association commissioner

December

4: TBD — Pro Football Hall of Famer at the Hall of Fame, Nash Family Event & Conference Center

11: Andre Knott — 5-time Emmy Award winning reporter, Bally's Sports

18: Tina Ryee — director, USA Track & Field Women's 6K Championship

25: No luncheon

January

8: Ben Ferree — HBO's "BS High" and author of "Friday Night Lights"

15: Rocco Maragas — Cleveland Charge chief operating officer

22: Nic Barlage — Cleveland Cavaliers president

29: Joe Tresey — Former UCLA defensive coordinator. Also Otterbein, Virginia Military Institute, University of Akron, Georgia Southern, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, South Florida, YSU and Kent State

February

5: Allan Farst — Triangle Park director

12: Sam Bourquin — Local radio personality

19: Bobby DiBiasio — Cleveland Guardians

26: Jensen Lewis — Cleveland Guardians/Bally Sports Ohio

March

4: Erika Muhleman and Bridget Kakos — Cleveland Browns

11: Ken Carman — 92.3 The Fan

18: Bernie Kosar — Former Cleveland Browns QB (Meeting at Hall of Fame)

25: B.J. Duckworth — OHSAA Director of Development

April

1: Kim Davenport — 2024 Hall of Fame Enshrinement chairperson

8: Jeff Young — Walsh University head men's basketball coach

15: Jeff Boals — Ohio University head men's basketball coach

22: Casey Kaufman and Jeff Cummings — Ohoi Dominican head basketball and football coaches

29: Lamont Robinson — National High School Football Hall of Fame

May

6: Chris Spielman — Detroit Lions Ring of Honor

13: Archie Griffin — Two-time Heisman Trophy recipient

History of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club

One of the main reasons why the Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton is because of the community spirit and support. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, many cities across the country expressed interest in having a Hall of Fame devoted to professional football. Canton was the only community that put together an impressive fund-raising drive. Nearly $400,000 was raised to have the Hall of Fame built.

At about the same time, former Hall of Fame Chairman Earl Schreiber — joined by Hank Critchfield, Lin Houston, Red Ryan, Joe Cross, Harry Van Almen, Wilbur Jacobs, Peach Thomas and Bob Schreiber — after attending the Agonis Luncheon Club in Dayton, Ohio, formed the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club.

The first meeting of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club was held at Benders Restaurant in downtown Canton in 1963. Soon thereafter, the venue was switched to Lakeshore Restaurant. Membership grew quickly and after using Topp’s Chalet for a short time, meetings moved to the current site at Tozzi's on 12th Restaurant, just a few miles from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club, with more than 500 members, is considered to be one of the largest of its kind in the entire country. Meetings are held each Monday from mid-September through the middle of May. The national prominence of the Hall of Fame, coupled with the strong support of the club, continues to produce a remarkable list of national speakers on a weekly basis.

A club that knows no strangers, members enjoy fellowship, good food, and interesting speakers. Couple that with the enthusiasm of the member audience and sports fans and the Hall of Fame Luncheon Club is THE place to be on Mondays during the season.

When the luncheon club was formed, the bylaws stipulated that the purpose of the club was to help support the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Originally, that support was reflected by members serving as drivers during Hall of Fame Weekend. The club’s next project focused on devoting a portion of the membership dues to paying for the Hall of Famers’ rings each year. Today, the Balfour Company, which designs the rings, donates the rings each year to the Hall of Fame.

Currently, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club has a new cause to show support for the Hall of Fame. The club will contribute $50,000 over a five-year period to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's national fundraising campaign. In addition, part of the proceeds from the weekly meal sales is used to sponsor the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s “Senior Day” (62 and older) at the museum.

Also, Malone University and Walsh University offer free admission to all athletic events with your membership card. Aside from showing support to the Hall of Fame, this sponsorship also attracts attention to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club through media coverage of this splendid event.

In addition, each member of the Luncheon Club will receive an annual pass that will allow the individual unlimited free admission to the Pro Football Hall of Fame throughout the year.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club continues to contribute its support to the Hall of Fame museum while offering first-rate programs each and every week to its members.

 

Current Board:  2023-2024

Board of Directors

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