51 years ago, 30 Lubbock Eagle Scouts made history

If you think 30 boys getting the Eagle Scout Award at once is impressive today, just imagine that feat happening 51 years ago.

In 1960, the accomplishment was so amazing, in fact, that the President of the United States took notice. Click here to check out the telegram he sent.

On July 1, 1960, 30 boys from Lubbock, Tex., gathered for what was, at the time, the largest Eagle Scout Court of Honor in history.

Though the current “record” for largest Eagle Court of Honor now rests with these 260 Eagle Scouts, that doesn’t diminish what these Lubbock Scouts achieved.

Here’s how the local newspaper phrased it:

The Court of Honor program is extraordinary in that the troop will receive the Eagle rank en masse, an unprecedented event in Scouting.

Thirty of the 45 boys who started their Boy Scout careers in the reactivated Troop No. 1 on Sept. 9, 1956, will be advanced to the top rank in the Friday night program. Two boys of the original group moved away, another transferred to another troop and two more dropped out.

More than 750 merit badges are represented in the troop’s membership of 30 boys.

An impressive feat then, and a great memory today for those 30 men. Many have moved away from Lubbock, and some have passed away. But all should be honored for their achievement.

Special thanks to Eagle Scout Jimmy O'Connell, seen here in the special book given out at the ceremony, for sending me this info.

About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.