Harvard Club of Boston

Infobox Organization
name = Harvard Club of Boston


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formation = 1908
type = Private club
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headquarters = Boston, Massachusetts
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website = [http://www.harvardclub.com/ www.harvardclub.com]
remarks =The Harvard Club of Boston is a social club located in Boston, Massachusetts. Its membership is essentially restricted to alumni and associates of Harvard University. It has two clubhouses, a main clubhouse located in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, at 374 Commonwealth Avenue, and a Downtown clubhouse on the top floor of One Federal Street, in Boston's Financial District. [ [http://www.wac.net/harvard_club_of_boston.aspx Harvard Club of Boston] . Washington Athletic Club. Retrieved on 1 October 2008.]

History

The Harvard Club was founded by a group of 22 Harvard alumni in 1908. The original dues were $5.00 per year, and by the end of the year, more than 1,200 members had joined. The first president, Henry Lee Higginson, was also the founder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1909, the Club established its first scholarships. One of the first recipients of these scholarships, James Bryant Conant, went on to become the 23rd president of Harvard. Famous people to have spoken at the Club include Vice President Dick Cheney, Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry Kissinger, William Taft, Robert Frost, Buckminster Fuller and John Foster Dulles. [Samuel P. Jacobs (9 September 2006). [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=514135 "Cheney Visits Harvard Club Through Back Door"] , "The Harvard Crimson". Retrieved on 1 October 2008.] [Raja Mishra (9 September 2006). [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/09/09/cheney_visit_is_met_by_traffic_protests/ "Cheney visit is met by traffic, protests"] , "The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 1 October 2008.] In 1913, the Club decided to construct a clubhouse, the Main Clubhouse at 374 Commonwealth Avenue. In 1925, eight squash courts were built. During World War II, cots were placed in these courts and lodging was offered to military officers at the cost of $1.50 per night. In 1976, the Downtown clubhouse was purchased at One Federal Street, providing a location more convenient to most of Boston's offices.

Membership

Membership eligibility is restricted to anyone who has received a degree or honorary degree from Harvard, a full-time student at the university, faculty members, those holding appointments at any of Harvard's teaching hospitals, and children and grandchildren of current members. Dues are on a sliding scale, based on age and proximity to the Club. Like most private clubs, members of the Harvard Club are given reciprocal benefits at 130 clubs around the United States and the world.

Clubhouse

The Clubhouse's facilities include three dining rooms, the Grill Room, the Boston Room, and the Commonwealth Lounge, guest rooms, ten squash courts, a fitness center, guest rooms, and numerous function rooms, including Harvard Hall, which has hosted events ranging from prize fights to squash matches [Nicholas Lesman (26 March 2005). [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=251694 "Smith Tops Alicea in Harvard Club Tilt"] , "The Harvard Crimson". Retrieved on 1 October 2008.] . Dress code for dinner in the Boston Room is jacket and tie, but otherwise, the code is business casual.

Harvard Club Foundation

The Harvard Club maintains a Foundation, with a separate Board of Directors from the club's Board of Governors, which oversees assets in excess of $10,000,000. The purpose of the Foundation is to support the activities of the University, primarily through providing undergraduate financial aid. The Foundation also supports the University's undergraduate admissions program by hosting receptions for admitted students, as well as sponsoring the PRize Book program. In 2008, the Foundation will donate $510,944 to undergraduate financial aid. [ [http://www.harvardclub.com/content/about/foundation.php The Harvard Club of Boston Foundation] . Harvard Club of Boston. Retrieved on 1 October 2008.]

References