In April of 1920 a group of civic-minded men met at the Joplin Elks Club with the idea of forming a Kiwanis Club. In May of the same year a permanent organization was formed and a charter was presented by Governor Lee H. Grant of St. Louis on July 13, 1920.

The Joplin Club was the third to be established in Missouri; St. Louis the first, then Kansas City. Our first president was A.C. Maher - 1920.

The first Key Club was founded on February 23, 1948 at Joplin High School. This club then became Parkwood High School Key Club, with a new Key Club formed at Memorial High School on July 30, 1968.

With the consolidation of the two high schools taking place in the fall of 1985, the Key Clubs were merged into one program with the resulting club being called Joplin High School. This new organization took effect in September, 1984.