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Founding of The City Club
Cleveland needed a forum where men of all parties, creeds,
and races could meet to discuss ideas for the "improvement
of the political, social and economic conditions of the entire
community." It is not surprising that Mayo Fesler, an
idealistic young reformer who came to Cleveland from St. Louis
to direct the reorganization of the Municipal Association,
should attempt to organize such a forum. His experience in
organizing a City Club in St. Louis stimulated local reformers
who also knew of similar clubs in New York, Boston, and Chicago...When
Fesler first talked with Augustus R. Hatton, the Marcus A.
Hanna Professor of Political Science at Western Reserve University,
his idea of a civic forum was received with enthusiasm. Together
they broached the subject to Munson Havens, Secretary of the
Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. Their original plan was to
have the Chamber of Commerce and the Municipal Association
sponsor joint luncheons at which prominent figures would talk
on topics of interest to the community. When Havens failed
to respond to this idea, Fesler and Hatton approached the
President of the Municipal Association, Morris A. Black, who
became greatly interested and even suggested that his organization
permit Fesler to devote part of his time to organizing a City
Club.
After receiving Black's encouragement Fesler
and Hatton called together a number of civic-minded young
men. Daniel E. Morgan, Walter L. Flory, H. Melvin Roberts
and Starr Cadwallader assisted in planning an organizational
luncheon, which was held on the 14th of June, 1912, at the
Chamber of Commerce. Since Cleveland was playing host to the
National Conference of Charities and Corrections at the same
time, Fesler and Hatton were able to arrange for convention
delegates prominent in City Clubs in other cities to address
their luncheon. Judge Julian Mack spoke of the Chicago City
Club's work in purifying local politics by setting up study
groups to arouse civic interest in political and social questions.
Representatives from the Boston City Club attributed their
groups success to the fact that it "never bound itself
to a man or an issue" but provided an impartial forum
for discussion by men of all walks of life. Roger N. Baldwin,
who later achieved international recognition for his work
in civil liberties, told the meeting that the Club in St.
Louis exerted strong civic influence by permitting the freest
discussion of advanced social thought.
During the discussion which followed these
addresses it was agreed that there was a need in Cleveland
for a City Club, one which would not conflict with the function
of the Chamber of Commerce or any other existing organization.
The meeting appointed a committee of 10 to consider the City
Club project. When the committee returned a favorable report
on July 30, 1912, it listed three reasons for such an undertaking.
A City Club would fulfill Cleveland's need for a meeting place
where civic-minded individuals and organizations could come
together for free discussion of the community's social, political
and economic problems. By getting together men of all shades
of belief and social background a City Club would eliminate
prejudices and create better understanding and closer cooperation
among individuals and organizations working in various areas
of public welfare. Furthermore, a City Club would help to
create a greater interest in public movements among the large
number of young men who felt no particular obligation to public
service. After considering the degree of militancy of other
City Clubs, in other words the extent to which they pressed
for reforms or just limited themselves to providing an opportunity
for discussion of civic problems, the committee postponed
making a policy recommendation on this question. The report
concluded with a recommendation that the Club establish low
dues in order to make membership available to men of modest
incomes.
On October 28, 1912, The City Club of Cleveland
was incorporated under the laws of Ohio. Invitations were
sent to 165 people for an organizational meeting of a "social
club with a civic purpose" to be addressed by Mayor Newton
D. Baker, the Honorable John H. Clarke, the Honorable Frederick
A. Henry, and Professor Augustus R. Hatton. At this first
meeting on the 30th of October, 104 out of the 111 men attending
agreed to buy $10 shares in the new corporation. The principal
speaker, Mayor Baker, emphasized the need for the Club to
maintain a nonpartisan spirit for the unbiased discussion
of public matters...The founding members of the City Club
laid a good foundation with a policy of "information,
not reformation."
Reprinted from, Freedom's Forum: The
City Club 1912-1962, by Thomas F. Campbell
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