Gregg/Klice Community Center

In the heart of the 18th & Vine District and across from Parade Park, the Gregg-Klice community center has provided recreational options to the housing communities surrounding it since 1955 when it was named the Gregg Center. In 1996 that building was torn down and the current Gregg-Klice community center was built to honor the legacy of activists John H Gregg and Arrington ‘Bubble’ Klice. 

The Story of John H. Gregg

John H. Gregg was born to Nathaniel and Minnie Gregg in 1908. They lived in Florence, South Carolina during his early childhood before the family moved to Virginia where the Greggs lived until John attended Morehouse in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating, he began working for the Atlanta Life Insurance Company and met his future wife, Glenda, on the job. The two married in 1935 and soon after moved to Kansas City. 

Gregg leaned heavily into civic engagement and was a dedicated member of the Paseo Baptist Church. He was appointed by the mayor to serve on the city advisory board, was a member of the City Recreation Commission, served on the committee of management for the Paseo YMCA and served on the Jackson County Board of Visitors among other roles. In a 1952 interview in the Kansas City Star, Gregg shared that he believed in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man which may have been the driving force behind his commitment to his local church. He was the vice-president of the Council of Churches, a member of the deacons board, a Sunday School teacher, and he sang in the adult choir. 

In 1954, at the age of 46, John died unexpectedly of an illness that came upon him suddenly four months earlier. A pillar of the community, he dedicated his life to making a difference through civic involvement and religious commitment.

The Story of Arrington 'Bubble' Klice 

Arrington "Bubble" Klice was a man described as small in stature but tall in spirit. He stood 5' 2" and coached at the Gateway Boxing Club for over 40 years from 1936 to 1978. He was inducted into the Golden Gloves Association of America Hall of fame in 1982. His legacy is celebrated throughout Kansas City and you can find his name on the side of the Gregg/Klice community center today.

Born in Newport, Arkansas, on October 14, 1908, William Arrington Klice got the nickname Bubbles when his sister struggled to pronounce the word brother. He then had his name legally changed to Arrington Bubble Klice in 1945. 

Klice took his first step into the boxing ring at the age of 18, in a money-making effort. From there he went on to fight for cash prizes and had more than 60 fights on the west coast, according to his 1985 interview. Klice later tried amateur boxing in Kansas City before he was drafted for World War II in 1943. In 1945 he left the military and worked with his first group of professional boxers. When one of his group members died after suffering a blow in the ring, Klice stepped away from professional boxing.

With professional boxing behind him, Klice was invited by T.B. Watkins to coach at the Gateway Boxing Club then located at 18th and Tracy in Kansas City, Missouri. Klice later became the owner and took on the role of coach and mentor to the young boys who he worked with at Gateway. Some would say that Klice’s most impactful work was done outside of the ring. His daughter shared during a 2008 interview with The Call that he was known to leave home at night to help young men in his program who had gotten into trouble, including bailing them out of the Jackson County Detention Center. Klice wanted to take an even broader approach to help youth around the city so he spoke to his close friends then contacted city officials and established the Coaches Council for Job Action and Recreation at 1824 Paseo Boulevard. As part of the program, Klice partnered with inner-city high school coaches to provide positive alternatives for youth.

Arrington “Bubble” Klice died on November 18, 2006, of Alzheimer's at the age of 98. His legacy is still alive throughout Kansas City. In 1997, the Gregg/Klice Community Center was dedicated in his honor, and the Enshriners, a group of businessmen who have come together to sponsor events around Kansa City, also dedicated a park bench for Klice near the Freedom Fountain in the Country Club plaza.

ARRINGTON KLICE OBITUARY, legacy.com. November 23rd, 2006. Accessed November 27th, 2022. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/arrington-klice-obituary?id=4321155.

Twyman, Gib. "Hall of Fame coach finds boxing game has lasting appeal." The Kansas City Star (Kansas City) January 20th, 1985.

Rock, Steve. "Bubble Klice: Small stature, tall spirit." The Kansas City Star (Kansas City) November 23rd, 2006.

Allen, Tracy. "Gateway Boxing Legend Remains a 'Knock-Out'." The Call (Kansas City) May 16th, 2008.

Sport: The Kill, Time.com. May 3rd, 1948. Accessed November 27th, 2022. https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,798537,00.html.

Janovy, CJ . Here's How Kansas City Spent $100 Million At 18th And Vine Since 1990, February 11th, 2016. Accessed March 1st, 2023. https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2016-02-11/heres-how-kansas-city-spent-100-million-at-18th-and-vine-since-1990.