In 1921 Howard W. Carter was sitting in his dentist’s chair having a tooth drilled, when he conceived the idea that Pasadena should have a University Club. He mentioned to his dentist, “there ought to be enough college men in Pasadena to start a Club.” The dentist agreed and Mr. Carter immediately began to talk up the project as he made the rounds on the town. Soon he called a meeting at his home on North Hill Avenue for those who were interested.  Among those who attended were Dr. Joseph P. Condit, Herbert L. Hahn, Dr. J. Ross Reed, Dr. Humes Roberts, Dr. Henry H. Shark and H.I. Stewart.

“UNIVERSITY CLUB FOR PASADENA IS NOW IN EXISTENCE”

HEADLINED THE STAR NEWS ON APRIL 29, 1922.

Arrangements were made to occupy a portion of the south end of the second story east wing of the Hotel Green, adjacent to the old Santa Fe railroad station.  Edgar W. Maybury made the old-fashioned, high ceilinged rooms livable and attractive.  The sun room or porch on the south side became an acceptable luncheon spot and a considerable group of members gathered there regularly at noon.  

“To begin with, sandwiches were served at noon on round tables like those used in old-fashioned ice cream parlors, with similarly styled metal chairs around them,” reminisces Stanley Brown.  It was a wonderful thing because it was the first time that persons of similar tastes and education could get together.  “The old Hotel Green furniture was in there and we had a pool table,” recalled Herb Hahn.  “Elsie Cherrison and a man named Carl were the employees who warmed up the Campbell’s soups, made the ham sandwiches and cut the apple pies we had for lunch.  These lunches, with coffee, cost 50 or 60 cents. We had between 30 and 50 members when we opened up there.  The quarters were very satisfactory and the rent was so low as to be laughable.  We got no service from the hotel and had to arrange for our own janitor work.  The entrance was up a flight of stairs at the south end of the building.  Commander Loomis put in a great deal of time at the new Club, acting as sort of unpaid manager.”

The formal opening of the Club was celebrated by an evening dinner on July 25, 1922, and the fee was about $1.00 for the generous steak spread.  In January 1923, an ambitious program of educational and social events had been arranged; this included smokers, book talks, lectures, dances, musicales and a bridge tournament.  The Club momentum was increased by a number of scientist members from Mount Wilson Observatory and Cal Tech and the staff of the Huntington Library.

A markable event in 1923 was the emploment of John Pearman as the Club manager.  Mr. Pearman made many important contributions to the Club and was appreciated and admired greatly by the founding members. He brought with him his secretary, Miss Eve Hetherington, who, after Mr. Pearman’s loss, became Club manager in May 1927.  Miss. Hetherington was, in many ways, for 28 years the rock on which the Club grew and bloomed.  Another of the Club’s long and faithful employees was dining room hostess Erma E. Pullin, who in 1961 completed thirty years at her post.

Few Clubs have been so fortunate as The University Club to host such individuals as those who have spoken throughout the Club’s Past.  These speakers include many illustrious men, but perhaps the most famous is Professor Albert Einstein who addressed the Club membership in 1931.  Albert was a guest of Dr. Charles E. St. John, the distinguished solar physicist who was in 1932 the President of the Carnegie Institution’s Mount Wilson Observatory,

An oil portrait of Dr. St. John, painted by member Seymour Thomas, now hangs in the Club’s Library.  Mr. Thomas also presented the Club with his fascinating studies of ambassador James Bryce and Dr. George Ellery Hale.  These portraits now hang on the Club’s upper floor.

Another prominent member and speaker at the University Club was Dr. Albert A. Michelson.  Dr. Michelson was the first to measure the speed of light.  As well, Dr. Michelson was America’s first Nobel Laureate in science.  Throughout his experimentatio years, Dr. Michelson made his headquarters at Cal Tech but lunched regularly at the University Club.

Imagine rubbing elbows at lunch with giants like these.

One of The University Club's members changed the world’s concept of the universe.  Professor Edwin Hubbell proved, to the satisfaction of leading astronomers, that the whole universe was flying apart; stars and planets flying away from each other at the speed of light.  This remarkable man had been trained as a lawyer, however, his first love was astronomy.  Herb Hahn, who was chairman of the Program Committee, induced Professor Hubbell, much against his will, to address the Club.  The professor was right – he shouldn’t have done it – practically nobody understood what he was talking about.

“Crossing the Atlantic on the Hindenberg” was member Wick C. Gans’ subject in 1937.  Another distinguished speaker for The Club was Dr. Frank B. Jewett, head of the Bell Telephone Laboratories.  Dr. Jewett predicted to the members in 1930 that “television was but a scientific toy and it was inconceivable that it would supplant wire communication.”

(It takes a big man to make a gigantic error.)

It didn’t take long for the Club to outgrow its quarters in the Hotel Green.  Jack Pearman, a Club committee member, did the leg work in securing a new home for the Club.  The search took 3 years.  In 1925 Manager Pearman notified Dr. Carl Thomas that he had been quietly looking around and had located the Club’s present site on North Oakland and Ford Place.  The building had been the home of Rev. R.L. Richardson and the lot to the north was vacant and could also be bought.  The Board of Governors wasted no time in starting negotiations for both. The formal opening of the Club in its new home was on September 23, 1926; by this time, The University Club had tallied 387 members.

Besides equipment for pool, billiards and cards, facilities were also provided for mah-jong, chess, checkers and dominoes.  Today, with the majority of members being non-smokers, and applicable laws in the State and City, it seems quaint that a popular form of entertainment of the 20's was to hold “smokers.”

Browse through the The Club’s Library room and think back to when there was not a single book on the shelves. We are indebted to Dr. St. John for establishing the Library and nursing it along through the years.  From the Club’s birth, the Library has flourished from the books donated by the members.  In addition to these generous donations, over the years, magnificent oil paintings, which now hang in the dining room, entryway and dining alcove area, were donated by member-artists.

While the Club’s lunches started off as ham sandwiches and Campbell’s soup, the members soon tired of these simplistic meals.  A policy of fine quality lunches was soon inaugurated, culminating in the gourmet food served by our fine chefs today.  As charter member Stanley Brown put it, “I have never eaten any finer food anywhere than is consistently served at the University Club.”  That statement is seconded by today’s members John (Jack) Bonholtzer, Robert H. (Bob) Martin and Diana Peterson-More.

At the time of the move to North Oakland and Ford Place, “auction bridge” was in vogue and all the card playing members took part in it. Later on, two members who took lessons in the then new “contract bridge” instructed other members, moving from table to table.  Having the hands laid out on the table, these members advised the new players how to bid and how to play. “Gin Rummy” and “Calcuttas” also had their period of popularity. The card sharks of yesteryear have become the pool players, and Monday Night Football enthusiasts of today.  Completely harmless (and presumably legal) wagering is allowed.

In the 1930’s, stag dinners and “other entertainment” came into vogue.  The early stag dinners were later replaced by the famed Sports Stag Dinners, where the guests of honor and speakers were the leading coaches and athletes of the west.  During the 1950’s and 1960’s, dinner and baseball game parties became popular, with cocktails and dinner at the Club followed by chartered bus, first to the Coliseum and then to Dodger Stadium.  An alternative activity would be cocktails and dinner at the Club, followed by hockey games at the now defunct Forum.  So that members would not have to miss the World Series of 1960, the Club arranged for a closed circuit, large screen television.  This event attracted a large turnout. (Following that tradition, today, the Club has several large screen HCD televisions on which members have viewed the 2008 Olympics, football, and the historic presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.)

A major step forward in the Club’s history was reached in May 1948.  Major improvements to the upstairs conference room were completed, along with the elimination of the “view window” in the south wall of the dining room (it looked out on some old garages), and the building of the dining alcove area to look out at the garden (which is now a tranquil courtyard).  This was done under the leadership of President Robert M. Lawson, who had been reelected to a second term to enable him to complete the program of improvements started during his first term.  The next step in the enlargement of the Club’s facilities was the addition of 6,000 square feet in 1967 which included a new lobby, office and clerical area, a new bar and the “ladies powder room.” These improvements were made during the term of President Lawrence Frost.

A great day in the Club’s history was May 20th, 1972, the Club’s fiftieth anniversary.  This momentous occasion was celebrated with a Golden Ball.  A beautiful and memorable occasion, the entire Clubhouse was transformed into a spring garden; guests entered through a colonnade of Grecian columns.  The guests of honor, the thirteen surviving charter members, were introduced to a full house of members and guests by Club President, Charles Rubsamen.  

These members included the following,

to whom the membership and our Club are deeply indebted: 

Stanley K. Brown

John F. Chapman MD

Herbert Hahn

Frank W. Hogdon MD

Alfred H. Joy PhD

A. Hoffman Keese

Harry H. Lehman

Wellslake D. Mores

Andrew Neff PhD.

Judge Kenneth C. Newell

Earl E. Simonds

W. Virgil Spalding