PERRY ROBERT "WILD BILL" CHILDS

1911 - 1969

Known as Bill to his many friends, often affectionately as "Wild" Bill, Bill Childs was born September 1, 1911 in Oakland, California, passed away January 27, 1969 due to a heart attack.

Bill got started in archery as a result of his wife giving him bow and arrows for Christmas 1940.

Bill owned an archery shop in Alameda where he made bows from Osage orangewood laminated with bamboo. He was a noted author for such archery publications as Ye Sylvan Archer and American Bowman-Review. He was featured on the cover of Archery Magazine many times.

An excellent tournament archer winning many medals and State Field Championship in 1985, Bill was an avid outdoorsman and successful bowhunter.

Bill gave many archery exhibits promoting archery, worked with the Boy Scouts helping them to earn archery merit badges, held various offices in a number of clubs and founded an archery club at Owens Illinois Glass Company in Alameda where he was employed for forty years.

Bill is best known as one of the early organizers of California archery. During the early 1940's Bill Childs was President of the Northern Archery Association the same time Roy Hoff was President of Southern California Archers. In May of 1943, together they formed the California Bowhunters and Field Archery Association. Ray became the first President and Bill became the first Legislative Representative of CBH. Bill served as President in 1944 and again as Legislative Representative in 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1948.

Bill was responsible for the introduction and passage of several legislative bills on bow hunting for California archers. In fact, he is credited with shooting the first buck in Tuolumne County with a bow after archery laws were enacted in California.

"Wild Bill" Childs - A friendly man who gave much to organized archery in its formative years in California.

Inducted 1986