The Kings of the Rings: Stories from the VFW National Marble Tournaments 1947-1962

In the United States, marbles were impacted by the Industrial Revolution. As families moved from farms to cities, the children took their marbles with them. Children of factory workers and factory owners could be found in the same game. Organized marble tournaments began popping up in cities across the United States in the 1920s, sponsored by local newspapers, civic organizations, or recreation departments. In 1922, the first National Marble Tournament was organized in Wildwood, New Jersey. By 1925, the national tournament hosted representatives from more than forty cities across the country. The popularity of marbles continued to grow through the 1930s. World War II led to a suspension of national marble tournaments. The national Veterans of Foreign Wars decided to make local and national marble tournaments one of their national youth programs in 1947.