The Metropolitan Club was formed in 1891 by
J. P. Morgan,[1] who served as its first president.[2] It was actually the second organization with that name in its neighborhood. The New York Times reported on March 10, 1891, about the name selected two days previous:
There is already a Metropolitan Club, which for some years has occupied quarters in the neighborhood in which the millionaires think of building.[3][a]
Other original members of the club included
William Kissam Vanderbilt and
James A. Roosevelt. "Each member, which included Vanderbilts and Whitneys, contributed $5,000 to buy the plot of land."[1]
In May 1945, the Club was able to avoid bankruptcy by selling $1,800,000 in bonds to its membership of 800 men.[5]
Clubhouse
The architects of the original building (erected in 1893)[6] were McKim, Mead & White. Seeking the finest workmanship rather than necessarily the lowest bidder in April 1892, the firm signed on
David H. King, Jr., as the general contractor.[7] The east wing, erected in 1912, was designed by Ogden Codman Jr.[8]
Its 1894 clubhouse, designed by
Stanford White, stands at 1 East 60th Street, on the northeast corner of
Fifth Avenue. The land on which the Clubhouse stands (with a
frontage of 100 feet (30 m) on Fifth Avenue and 200 feet (61 m) on 60th Street) was acquired from the
Duchess of Marlborough who signed the purchase agreement in the United States Consulate in London.
Cornelius Vanderbilt II signed the purchase agreement on behalf of the club.
The address for parking is 11 East 61st Street.[9]
House rules
The Metropolitan Club maintains a
dress code as part of its house rules:[10]
Men must wear jackets and ties – "turtlenecks and ascots are not acceptable."[10]
Ladies should wear "dresses, skirts, dressy pant suits, or business pant suits."[10]
"Jeans, shorts, stirrup pants, leggings, stretch pants, tight pants, sweats and T-shirts are absolutely not acceptable."[10]
Cell phones and laptops are prohibited in the Club except in private meeting rooms and bedrooms.[10]
Activities
The club has had an ongoing involvement in the social life of the upper class, including fundraising,[11]black tie balls,[12] and sports.[13]
Notable members
Founding members
J. P. Morgan (1837–1913), financier, banker, philanthropist, art collector, and the club's founder and first president[2]
Larry Pressler (born 1942), Republican politician and the first Vietnam veteran to be elected to the United States Senate
Levi Parsons Morton (1824–1920), minister to France, Republican vice president under Benjamin Harrison, governor of New York and second president of The Metropolitan Club
^The first organization to claim the name "Metropolitan Club" seemed to be described by The Times for over a decade, but the definite article "The" was not ordinarily capitalized.[4]
^"The Metropolitan Club One East 60th Street at the corner of Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10022 Tel: (212) 838-7400. Parking is available at: 615 Garage Corporation 11 East 61st Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues New York, NY 10065 Tel: (212) 838-8869."
"The Metropolitan Club - American Scandinavian Society".