Dr. Clark J. Hickman served as both a volunteer for and on the board of directors of Challenge-Metro, Inc. Hickman earned his doctorate in education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1993 and later joined the faculty. He became the Emeritus Associate Dean in the College of Education.

In 1982, Gay and Lesbian Community Services was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the State of Missouri. Five years later in 1987, the organization changed its name to Challenge-Metro, Inc. Under both names, the organization’s purpose was to provide “a hotline, crisis intervention, information and referral, community education, research, and other services.” However, the only function performed under either name was to fund and staff the St. Louis Gay & Lesbian Hotline.

The physical location of the hotline changed several times and its location in the 1980s is unclear. By the 1990s, it was staffed by volunteers six nights a week on the second floor of The Loading Zone, a gay bar on Euclid Avenue. In 1997, the hotline moved to a medical professional building at Euclid and West Pine that included space for the hotline, training, and volunteer meetings. By 2000, it moved to the Busey Bank building at DeBaliviere and Waterman. However, interest in the hotline began to wane. At first volunteers noted that callers often did not wish to discuss therapeutic issues but wanted information on where to meet other gay people and then there were fewer calls presumably due to the availability of information on the internet. The hotline reduced its hours of operation from six days per week to two days per week. By 2003, the office became unnecessary. The Challenge-Metro Board ceased fundraising and worked to transfer the hotline to Pride St. Louis. Challenge-Metro, Inc. officially dissolved on March 30, 2004.

Please see Dr. Clark J. Hickman’s history of Challenge-Metro, Inc., in the collection (f.5) for more details about the organization.