I first heard of the US National Marbles Tournament (NMT) 40 years ago while reading a short “looking back” newspaper column. The item was about a local boy who rose from harsh circumstances during the Great Depression to win the NMT.
I was hooked. I knew little about marbles games, hadn’t played marbles growing up, but realized that most folks in my parents’ Depression Era generation once did. I always thought the colorful little orbs were fascinating. That obscure story of the marbles-playing kid who overcame so much seemed worth more investigation.
Reading library books on the topic, I learned that marbles are some of the world’s oldest game toys. Amusements of various kinds using marbles (rounded stone, nuts, bone, clay, glass) have existed in practically every age, country, and culture. And I was surprised to find out that the NMT itself still existed.
Ten years later on a whim, I wrote to a Maryland address listed in one of those books. NMT director Gene Mason wrote back and kindly encouraged me to attend the next tournament in Wildwood, New Jersey, when they’d be celebrating the event’s 70th anniversary. I went, and met many past champions, listening eagerly to their stories. The kids in the competition impressed me with their skills and sportsmanship.
Digging deeper into the early history of the NMT, I realized how big it was in its heyday, mainly before World War II. The NMT was our first nationwide game contest for kids, predating Little League, the Soapbox Derby, even the National Spelling Bee. Millions of boys and girls of all races, from every kind of background, used to take part each year, trying to reach the final rounds. Winning meant returning home like a hero – with memories for a lifetime.
I also found that little about the earliest days of the NMT had been preserved. Was it buried somewhere? Who knew? The known stories were peppered with misinformation passed down over the years. It seemed like no one had checked original sources (like old newspapers) to verify the facts. I acquired a hobby, of sorts, finding and collecting early NMT information. I attended the NMT several more times, becoming friends with some of the “regulars.”
This historical series of “Lost Marbles Stories” about the roots of the National Marbles Tournament comes from years of searching. The stories never fail to intrigue and inspire me. They are classics of Americana as experienced by “regular folks” – ordinary kids and their mentors facing extraordinary challenges. I hope you enjoy them too.
Stan Flewelling
How the National Marbles Tournament Got Started 