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