Century Club of Indianapolis collection
Collection
Identifier: L200
Scope and Contents
This collection includes correspondence, official records, newspaper articles, program listings and notices, membership proposals, and yearbooks from members of the Century Club in Indianapolis, Indiana and elsewhere in the United States ranging from 1889 to 1944, regarding club organization, membership, and the duties and activities of members.
Dates
- 1889-1944
Creator
- Bailey, Louis J. (Louis Jonathan) (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Administrative History
The Century Club of Indianapolis was founded in December, 1888 by Alfred Fremont Potts, with 30 charter members, including: William C. Bobbs, Hilton U. Brown, James W. "Billy" Fesler, William Fortune, Allen Hendricks, William L. Taylor, Charles N. Thompson, and Evans Woollen. The club was organized "as a protest against exclusiveness and old fogyism in club life." It grew to around one hundred members, in addition to non-resident and two honorary members, F. Hopkinson Smith and James Whitcomb Riley. The Century Club became affiliated with the Indiana Union of Literary Clubs in 1892. Members included Louis J. Bailey, Ernest P. Bicknell, Jacob Piatt Dunn, William P. "Pink" Fishback, John L. Griffiths, Meredith "Nick" Nicolson, and George Reisner, among others. The club originally met weekly on Tuesdays, though the meetings grew less frequent over time, and required members to present papers, of their own topic, regularly. Potential members were recommended by current members and then elected or rejected. Dues varied between $4.00 and $8.00 per annum.
There were frequent banquets (some in honor of Indiana writers) and outings and a guest night each month, which nonmember men and women were allowed to attend, upon the invitation of a member. Guest speakers included Anthony Hope Hawkins, author of Prisoner of Zenda.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Hendricks, Allen. "The First Years of the Century Club; A Paper." Indianapolis, IN: The Century Club, 1937.
There were frequent banquets (some in honor of Indiana writers) and outings and a guest night each month, which nonmember men and women were allowed to attend, upon the invitation of a member. Guest speakers included Anthony Hope Hawkins, author of Prisoner of Zenda.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Hendricks, Allen. "The First Years of the Century Club; A Paper." Indianapolis, IN: The Century Club, 1937.
Extent
1.3 Cubic Feet (4 manuscript boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Louis J. Bailey on 1935/12/35 and later.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2015/11/25 by Edythe Huffman. EAD finding aid created 2015/11/25 by Edythe Huffman. EAD finding aid revised 2021/11/02 by Lauren Patton. Collection reprocessed 2024/07/18 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2024/07/18 by Brittany Kropf.
Creator
- Bailey, Louis J. (Louis Jonathan) (Person)
- Title
- Century Club of Indianapolis collection
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
