Harvard Club of New York
The Harvard Club of New York City | |
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Location | 27 W 44th St, Manhattan, New York City, New York |
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Coordinates | 40°45′20″N 73°58′52″W / 40.75566°N 73.9812°WCoordinates: 40°45′20″N 73°58′52″W / 40.75566°N 73.9812°W |
Built | 1894, enlarged in 1905, 1915 and 1989[1] |
Architect | Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead & White |
Architectural style | Colonial Revival, neo-Georgian style |
NRHP reference # | 80002693 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | March 28, 1980[2] |
Designated NYCL | January 11, 1967 |
The Harvard Club of New York City, commonly called The Harvard Club, is a private social club located in Midtown Manhattan, New York, USA. The club is the sole club in New York City whose membership is restricted almost entirely to alumni and faculty of one university, Harvard University (unlike other university-related clubs in New York City, which allow alumni from multiple schools to join).
Incorporated in 1887, it is housed in adjoining lots at 27 West 44th Street and 35 West 44th Street. The original wing, built in 1894, was designed in red brick neo-Georgian style by Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead & White.
History
Founded without a location in 1865, by a group of Harvard University alumni, the club first rented a townhouse on 22nd Street.[3] In 1888, the members acquired land on 44th Street. The clubhouse was established in the neighborhood where many of New York City's other clubs, such as the New York Yacht Club, were located, and across the street from the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York.
The club selected architect Charles Follen McKim, of McKim, Mead & White, for the project. The design was Georgian style of architecture with Harvard brick and Indiana limestone. The building’s façade is reminiscent of the gates at Harvard Yard. In 1905, Harvard Hall, the Grill Room, a new library, a billiard room, and two floors of guest rooms were added.
In 1915, McKim, Mead & White doubled the building’s size by constructing the Main Dining Room, a bar, additional guestrooms, banquet rooms, and athletic facilities including a 7th floor swimming pool. In 2003, a new 40,000-square-feet contemporary glass and limestone building was added by Davis Brody Bond, under the direction of J. Max Bond, Jr.
The building is sometimes used for outside corporate events such as business conferences.[4]
Gallery
- The first Harvard Club of New York, a leased brownstone at 11 West 22nd Street.
- The 1894 clubhouse, designed by Charles F. McKim, photographed in 1896.
- The Harvard Club's staircase in 1906.
- A 1920 view of the Harvard Club, with McKim, Mead & White's 1894 clubhouse at right, and to its left their 1915 addition.
- The Harvard Club library, in 2016.
- The library reading area, in 2016.
Membership
To be eligible for election to membership, a candidate must hold a degree or honorary degree from Harvard, be a tenured faculty member at the University, or serve as an officer, or member of any Board or Committee of the University. Dues levied 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 clubs around the United States and the world.[5]
Notable members
- John F. Kennedy, Class of 1940
- Reginald Lewis, Law, class of 1968, 1st African American to create $1 Billion business empire
- John Jay McKelvey, Sr., Founder of Harvard Law Review
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, Class of 1903
- Theodore Roosevelt, Class of 1881
- James Toback, Class of 1966[6]
- Michael Bloomberg, Harvard Business School Class of 1966, Mayor of New York City[7]
Philanthropy
The HCNY Foundation has a scholarship fund that helps support 20 undergraduates at Harvard College and several students in graduate programs, as well as international student exchange programs.
References
- ↑ "AIA Guide to New York City, 4th Edition, page 233
- ↑ National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ "Official History". Harvard Club of New York.
- ↑ "The Decline of 'Big Soda'". The New York Times. October 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Membership". Harvard Club of New York.
- ↑ Sonaiya Kelley (October 22, 2017). "Read the 1989 Spy magazine story that detailed James Toback's attempts to pick up women". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/25/nyregion/bloomberg-quietly-left-four-mostly-white-clubs.html