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Milwaukee, WI. - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the TOPS Club Inc. Building in the National Register of Historic Places on September 26, 2022. 

TOPS Club Inc. is significant as one of the most influential weight-loss support organizations in the nation that collaborated with the medical and scientific community in understanding obesity and inspired other group-supported self-help organizations. This building, occupied solely by the company since its construction in 1965, serves as the headquarters for the organization. It holds offices, publishing and printing departments, and provides shipping and warehousing for its publications.

TOPS Club Inc. was founded by Esther Manz and a few friends in 1948 to support their goals in losing weight. The organization grew rapidly through the 1950s and 1960s, reaching a peak of over 300,000 members that spanned across every state and went international. Each member receives TOPS publications, guides, and takes part in local meetings to support other members in their weight-loss goals. The organization also aligned with the medical community by sharing clinical information and promoting obesity research through funding and patient trials since the 1970s, which provided medical knowledge of weight control. TOPS did not inform members what to eat but shared successful and healthy eating methods while providing a public support system, which distinguished the organization from other popular post-war dieting companies and trends.

Additional information for TOPS Club Inc. is available at:

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2732

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/

About the Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.