E.D. “Pet” Sumner : Founder of the club and many of the members were from his circle of business and personal
relationships. Originally a cotton farmer from Hartsville, he moved to Gastonia in 1929 and
became a leader in textiles. Sumner traveled to Egypt, and to the Middle East to establish
cotton trading partners. He was one of the first to import Egyptian cotton to the United States.
In the 1940’s, he opened Sumner Hosiery which operated until his death in 1960. Sumner was
an avid hunter and owned lodges in South Dakota and South Carolina.
