During the early history of amateur athletics, the large and affluent athletic clubs--mostly in New York City--took the initiative in the formation of the first associations of amateur clubs, the National Association of Amateur Athletes of America (NAAAA), and its successor, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Athletic clubs in New York City in the nineteenth century were stratified along religious, ethnic, occupational, political, and social class lines. These factors had a significant impact on the athletic associations and sport governing bodies. Although the NAAAA maintained that it was the national governing body for amateur sport, it was never capable of controlling professionalism and gambling, and never, in reality, a national organization. In 1888 the New York Athletic Club withdrew from the NAAAA to form the AAU. The AAU was then the dominant association until these two organizations merged in 1890. During the next twenty-five years the power of the New York clubs in the AAU declined. However, they still maintained their influence on the AAU governing board through the hard work of several of their representatives. The New York clubs were thus able to hold positions of power in athletic club associations disproportionate with their numbers. The decisions and policies that were made therefore may have favored these larger, upper middle class male clubs. These affluent athletic clubs, however, gained a respectability for sport which it otherwise would never have achieved. (RC)