With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America was at war and San Antonio became the hub of the Nation’s Military activity. The city’s military community included the Army’s Fort Sam Houston and four air force bases, Brooks, Randolph, Lackland and Kelly.
This military community became the main reason for the creation of the St. Anthony Club. Modeled after a smart English pub; the St. Anthony Club became one of America’s first clubs to draw members from around the world. Known as “The Night Club of the Southwest,” the St. Anthony Club was among the top three clubs in the Nation and it was the heart of the South Texas social scene. The St. Anthony Club quickly became the elite club for San Antonio’s prominent business leaders and it was the place where Herb Kelleher and Rolland King used a cocktail napkin to draw up the plan for Southwest Airlines.
Today, the St. Anthony Club depicts the same tradition of an English stylish pub and still thrives in the South Texas social scene. The walnut paneling, beamed ceiling and original fireplace are trademarks that remain from the first days of the club.
