The Hippodrome was operated by John T. Miles, a Black college graduate, and he had a staff that included two skating instructors.
[3] By 1952, the venue had become a hotspot to showcase local and national blues and R&B musical acts.
In 1954, DJ Dewey Phillips, host of the WHBQ radio show "Red, Hot, and Blue," held a dance at the Hippodrome.
[5] In 1955, the Hippodrome was purchased by businessman Andrew "Sunbeam" Mitchell and he changed the name to the Club Ebony.
In April 1966, the owner Albert J. Jackson received a beer permit for The Hippodrome Lounge.