The only club that was created only for women is The Colony Club. The Club was founded in 1903 by Florence Harriman(1870-1967) , American
socialite. Florence was remarkable
woman. She participated in the Versailles Peace Conference, was appointed the
United States Minister to Norway by FDR in 1937, led one
of the suffrage parades down Fifth Avenue. Harriman wrote one of the first publications
on the Holocaust and Auschwitz Concentration Camp, “Oswiecim, Camp of Death,”
published in March 1944 before the camp's liberation by Soviet troops.
At age 84 Florence led
a parade in Washington DC to protest “taxation without participation". U.S. President John F. Kennedy honored her by
awarding her the first “Citation of Merit for Distinguished Service.” She often
found herself in the middle of historic events. As she stated, “I think nobody can deny that I
have always had through sheer luck a box seat at the America of my times".
The club's treasurer,
Anne Morgan, who was also interested in social reforms, was sometimes referred
to as the richest woman in the world -- her father was J. Pierpont Morgan.
The founding members established an initiation fee of $150
and annual dues at $100, which put the Colony Club on the level of the most
expensive men’s club. Members
were also asked for contributions to finance construction of the clubhouse. J. P. Morgan, whose three daughters were all
members, agreed to subscribe $10,000 if nine other men would do the same.
The New York Times published a complete membership roster on
the first anniversary, which included four Vanderbilts, four Whitneys, the
three daughters of J. P. Morgan and Mrs.
John Jacob Astor.The Colony Club served as an athletic facility for its members. It featured a gymnasium, a pool, a running track, and other standard athletic facilities for the benefit of its members.
When the club opened, the key difficulty proved to be the
liquor license. A law prohibiting liquor
licenses within 200 feet of a church without the church’s permission. The first club first facility was
erected on Madison Avenue at 29th Street, across the street from Madison Avenue Baptist Church.
The club was not able to get a liquor license until it moved
north to its larger quarters on Park Avenue . The second clubhouse, located at 564 Park Avenue, was constructed from 1914 to 1916.
The 80,000 square foot clubhouse has seven stories and
includes 25 guest bedrooms, three dining rooms, two ballrooms, a lounge, a
squash court, an indoor pool, a fitness facility and three personal spa service
rooms. The Club currently has 2,500 members.
Dress code is very strict. Appropriate clothing for ladies
includes suits, dresses, skirts, tailored slacks, blouses and sweaters. Jeans and denim apparel of any color or other “five-pocket style” pants are strictly prohibited. Forget about casual Capri and cargo pants,
shorts and T-shirts. Gentlemen must wear jackets, collared shirts
and ties. Men may enter the Clubhouse without wearing ties only during the
summer when dining on the Roof Terrace.
Today, men are allowed in the restaurants and the pool. The club has its' own squash court and squash instructor who gives daily lessons to members, their families and guests. The club continues its policy of women-only membership – new members must be recommended by current members.
Today, men are allowed in the restaurants and the pool. The club has its' own squash court and squash instructor who gives daily lessons to members, their families and guests. The club continues its policy of women-only membership – new members must be recommended by current members.
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