Merle Jenkins

Merle Jenkins was the founder of the Detroit Polo Club in 1962 and was an avid supporter of Intercollegiate polo, sponsoring the Michigan State University and University of Michigan Polo Clubs. He served as a USPA Governor (1973–1979 and 1984–1988), Secretary (1988-1991), and was the CEO of USPA Properties, Inc. (1981-2003). He was the first USPA Promotion Committee chairman, formed in 1977.

In the early 1980s, he and his committee began licensing USPA trademarks and formed USPA Properties Inc., whose objective was to develop a marketing program for USPA trademarks that would produce a stream of income for the USPA. Merle served for 32 years on the USPA Safety Committee, initiating the first tests of polo helmets and formulating standards, testing and certification of helmets used in the sport.