The Press Club of Chicago WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT OFFEUS TO ITS MEMBERS 1911 LAWRENCE J. GUTTER Collection of Chicogoono THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO The University Library PRESIDENTS OF THE PRESS CLUB 1880— Franc B. Wilkie. 1881— W. K. Sullivan. 1882— Samuel J. Medill. 1883— William E. Curtis. 1884 — James B. Bradwell. 1885 — Joseph R. Dunlop. 1886 — John F. Ballantyne. 1887— James W. Scott. 1888— James W. Scott. 1890— Stanley Waterloo. 1891— W. A. Taylor. 1892— John E. Wilkie. 1893— Stanley Waterloo. 1894— Frank A. Vanderlip. 1895— A. T. Packard. 1896— Joseph Medill. 1897 — Washington Hesing. 1898— William M. Knox. 1899— William M. Knox. 1900— John E. Wright. 1901— William H. Freeman. 1902— Homer J. Carr. 1903— Homer J. Carr. 1904 — Homer J. Carr. 1905— Homer J. Carr. 1906— John J. Flinn. 1907— John J. Flinn. 1908— Eichard H. Little. 1909— Henry B. Chamberlin. 1910— John C. Shaffer. 1910— Charles H. Sergei. 1911— Charles H. Sergei. Officers 1911 CHARLES H. SERGEL, President E. J. BAKER, 1st Vice-President ; R. R. JONES, 2nd Vice-President H. S. HYMAN, Treasurer D. L. HANSON, Financial Secretary W. FREDERIC NUTT, Recording Secretary JOSEPH F. HENDERSON, Librarian Directors THEO. VAN R. ASHCROFT HORACE M. FORD GEORGE B. HISCHB W. R. BARNES H. B. McMEAL . J. F. PRESNELL. 'MO one who has not enjoyed the hospi- tality of the Chicago Press Club knows what he has missed. I am deeply sensi- ble of the fact that I have never known Chicago at her best until today; have never know^n the real source of her strength and the secret of her renown. Chicago is here. The Press Club is Chicago incar- nate. This is what makes Chicago famous. CHARLES WARREN FAIRBANKS Vice-President of the United States March 18. 1909 Concerning The Press Club HE Press Club of Chicago, famous among the clubs of the world, is now at home in its own building. Thirty-two years ago (January 11, 1880) it was organized, 'Ho bring members of the newspaper and literary pro- fession together in closer personal relation, to foster good-fellowship, to promote the in- terests of its members, and to provide them with comfortable club rooms." It has done all of this. It has done more. From a group of twenty-five men it has grown to a strong institution, strong in numbers (its member- ship is approaching 1,200), strong in the character of its membership (no other club equals it as an organization of writers), strong in its finances (it is possessed of prop- erty valued at $300,000), strong as a social force in the community. Tolerant, democratic, sympathetic, the Press Club of Chicago has demonstrated its fundamental virility. It was well born. In its thirty-second year it is proud of its par- entage and glad that it is possessed of the health and strength which is enabling it to proceed along broader and more generous lines. In its former homes — the club has been housed under three temporary roofs — hundreds of distinguished people have been its guests. Its hospitality has brought it renown, but the personality of its member- ship has been its real strength. It is good to know the Press Club of Chicago — it is better to be of it. MEMBERSHIP Life members enjoy all the privileges of active members. Life members pay $300 and are exempted from the payment of dues. When the life membership list is completed no more applications will be received. The money received from life memberships can- not be used for any purpose save 'the retire- ment of the bonds or devoted to the building fund. The value of such a holding in the Press Club of Chicago is apparent and the price is less than the initiation fee in some. Active members pay yearly dues of $40. Non-resident members pay yearly dues of $10. Life members must be persons of charac- ter and standing, but need not have the lit- erary qualifications oi active members. The qualifications for active members are: (a) Persons regularly connected with the press, in Chicago or elsewhere^as editors, re- porters, artists, proprietors, paid correspon- dents or contributors, general managers, business managers and proof readers of the daily papers. (b) Authors of books of original matter and of literary character, publishers, illus- trators of such books and of magazines, and persons whose chief occupation is literary. (c) Persons who can produce indisputable proof of having at some time fulfilled one or more of the above qualifications for a period of five years. Non-resident members must have one or more of the qualifications for active member- ship, but must not reside or have their place of business in Chicago or Cook county. The Press Club of Chicago offers its mem- bers a well-equipped, well-operated club house at 26 N. Dearborn street, Chicago. It occu- pies for club purposes five floors of its eight- story building at that number and its doors are never closed. It has a library exceeding 3,000 volumes, including many reference works. The new books are purchased month- ly, while nearly all the current magazines and many daily and weekly publications are avail- able. Numerous portraits and other paintings adorn its walls. Theffe is a writing room sup- plied with typewriters, a pool and billiard room, a lounging room, a buffet and a barber shop. One floor is devoted to sleeping rooms, where the charge for high-class service is reasonable. The cafe is one of the best appointed in Chicago and the cuisine of the club is fa- mously excellent. In addition there are pri- vate dining rooms and a department for the ladies of club members. This latter includes a rest room and a dining room, which are open from eleven o 'clock in the morning until eight o'clock in the evening. The club holds frequent receptions and en- tertainments; it gives dinners and luncheons to guests; it takes outings; goes on excur- sions and contributes in many other ways to the pleasures of its members and their guests. It extends a helping hand to those of its members who may be sick or in want, and, if need be, it gives them final resting place be- neath the Press Club monument at Mount Hope. In the Press Club men are measured for what they have in head and heart. Here is the maximum of personal liberty, democracy, and the good fellowship of men. Lroyalty and fraternity and brotherhood are here in marked degree. A man's a man in the Press Club of Chicago. LIFE MEMBERSHIP * ' During the twenty years I have been a member of the Press Club of Chicago, ex- perience, observation and reading have con- vinced me that it is the truest democracy in America. There is but one aristocracy, that of the mind. But the mind is a democrat. The Press Club is a mind made liberal by its close acquaintance with a man and his whims. Here we find no prejudice. Intelligence is tolerant. In breadth there is sympathy. Without these qualities a club must be narrow. "Of late we have become still broader. From close communion we have lessened the tension of our original creed. We welcome certain intellectual forces from the business world. We rejoice in our greater scope. We take business by the right hand. We grasp the hand of the professions. We say: 'Be one of us. Let us learn from each other. We are going to build up one of the greatest so- cial forces in the country. We welcome you.'" OPIE READ. The above communication, thoroughly character- istic of Opie Read, is presented to those who have boen invited to become life members of the Press Club in order to assure them that the invitation is genuine, and that the authors and newspaper men — the active members of the Club — approve the present effort to broaden the membership, and that a cordial welcome awaits those who elect to join our number. Mr. Read Is one of the famous members of the Club, and one of its staunchest advocates. He voices the sentiment of the literary workers of the organization. P73S ma 6K RM The Press Club Building