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Final Awards - 2025

In 1920, Jewish boys in North Minneapolis formed the Mercury Club because they were not allowed to play sports in the area.  Sam London and Hy Kleinbaum were the original founders of the Club.  It soon grew to be more than a sports club as the boys became more involved in the Jewish community. Everyone seemed to know about the Mercury Club.

Over time, as members married, started families and their playing days ended, they decided to recognize young Jewish scholar-athletes.  When Hy Truman died, the Club started the Mercury Club Award and named it in his honor.  It was given annually to the outstanding male Jewish high school senior in the greater Minneapolis area who best exemplified athletic, scholarship and civic excellence.  Milt (Bud) Mintkin was the first award winner in 1936.


In 1988, with only a handful of “Originals” left, Donald Goldberg, a 1953 Mercury Club Award winner, took responsibility for the Mercury Award.  He formed a small committee  of former winners to continue the award.  Under his leadership a female award was started with Deborah Levin Stillman, the first female winner in 1988.


When Don passed away in 1998, the award name was changed to the Hy Truman/Donald Goldberg Memorial Award.  And, when Rae Kleinbaum, the sister of Hy Truman and an avid supporter of the Mercury Club passed away in 2017 at the age of 103, the female award became known as the Hy Truman/Rae Kleinbaum Memorial Award.


There have been 89 male and 38 female Mercury Club winners as of 2025.  But sadly, our small selection committee can no longer sustain this tradition and our 2025 winners will be the last. Hopefully, at some point others will want to step forward and bring back the Mercury Awards. We want to thank all of the supporters of the Mercury Cub for helping to keep the award going for the past 89 years. 


Mercury Award Selection Committee  














   

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