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| Ad for Jack Cambpell from 1974 |
The Club Baths chain became the largest bathhouse chain in the world during the 1970's. It was formed by Jack Campbell, who had been a member of the Cleveland Mattachine Society in the when he opened his first bathhouse in 1965. He became very powerful in Florida politics at the end of the 1970's.
By 1971 the business had grown to 14 baths all across the country.
In 1977 Campell showed his emerging political muscle by taking on Florida Orange Juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant in her anti-homosexual crusade.
By it's peak in 1981 it was the biggest bathhhouse chain in the world with locations in: Akron, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Two in Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Dayton, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Key West, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Newark, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, Tampa, Toledo, Washington D.C., London-Ontario, Toronto and Vancouver.
During the AIDS crisis in the 1980's and 1990's most of these locations shut down. Today the former chain has split into two separate companies: CBC Resorts with locations in: Miami, Providence and Philadelphia and The Clubs which has locations in: Columbus, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, New Orleans, St. Louis and Orlando.
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