(Above) The 1937 Lou Gehrig Huskies Club Ring. See below for more, including a color advertisement for the Club!

You already know that flying clubs were all the rage in the late '30s - and aviation heroes from Jimmie Allen and Captain Midnight to Speed Gibson were used to promote products and capture the imaginations of kids all over. But fictitious heroes weren't the only ones kids looked up to. In fact, did you know that one of the most popular clubs of the day was The Huskies Club - and their president and main spokesman was none other than baseball legend Lou Gehrig? The Huskies Club was developed to promote Post's "Huskies" Whole Wheat Flakes Cereal - and what better way to get kids to eat those "crisp, crunchy, golden-brown flakes" than to have the original Iron Man of baseball touting their goodness?

In 1937, Lou Gehrig was at the peak of his career as the star first baseman for the New York Yankees - and kids everywhere wanted to be just like him. So, if Lou ate a big bowl of Huskies every morning, naturally kids all over America would want to do the same. Plus, Huskies were full of essential vitamins and nutrients - including phosphorus for strong bones and teeth, iron for healthy blood, carbohydrates for energy and proteins for muscle - meaning Mother had no problem buying box after box of the fantastic flakes.

As with any club worth its weight in wheat, The Huskies Club also had plenty of premiums to give away to members. The bronze embossed Huskies Club Membership Pin could be yours in exchange for one box top and one coupon - along with the Huskies Club Catalog - the door to 41 different free gifts available only to members. There were baseballs, sweatshirts, caps, mitts, and, perhaps best of all, the Huskies Club Ring: a glorious ring with a 24-carat gold finish that was embossed with the same insignia as the club pin. And all you needed was three box tops!

The advertisement pictured here shows just how easy it was to be a part of The Huskies Club - with Lou Gehrig introducing the club to the "Maple Street Gang". The Gang, with the inspiration of Lou and visions of free baseball equipment fueling them, collects box tops from family and neighbors and is seen, in the last panel, enjoying their prizes. So, not only did The Huskies Club serve as an outstanding way to sell cereal and merchandise, it also promoted one of baseball's most beloved figures while bringing kids together in a way that was actually good for them. And while Lou Gehrig was the club's primary spokesman, Frankie Frisch of the St. Louis Cardinals and Olympic Swimming Champion Helene Madison were also promoters of the club - so boys and girls would want to be a part of the fun. Which is just swell by us.

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(Above) The 1937 Lou Gehrig Huskies Club Ring. See below for more, including a color advertisement for the Club!		The 1937 Lou Gehrig Huskies Club Membership Pin		A newspaper ad showing how to join the Huskies Club. See below for some close ups!