Adventurers' Club of New York


The Adventurers' Club of New York was an adventure-oriented private men's club founded in New York City in 1912 by Arthur Sullivant Hoffman, editor of the popular pulp magazine Adventure. There were 34 members at the first meeting. In its second year, "Sinclair Lewis, Hoffman's assistant, was elected secretary and served three years." Monthly dinner meetings, and weekly luncheons, were the primary functions of the club.
According to club secretary, newspaperman Fred J. Splitstone, the club's "One inviolate rule is that no publicity is ever given to the meetings. It makes men freer to talk." It also makes the club difficult to research. However, soon after making those comments, in 1926, the club began publishing a monthly newsletter, The Adventurer. It ran at least until 1960. Its content primarily concerned club business, e.g. changes in leadership, new members. It occasionally ran profiles—and obituaries—of members. The main content was typically a description of the previous monthly dinner meeting. The speakers were described along with a summation of their speeches.
A weekly CBS radio show, Gold Seal Associates, featuring members of the club describing the most exciting moment of their lives, was inaugurated on June 13, 1930. Major C. E. Russell was the inaugural speaker.
The club was one of at least two such clubs in New York. The other club was the Ends of the Earth Club, which included Mark Twain as a member.
The club appears to have faded out in the 1970s.

Chapters

Spin-off clubs were founded in Chicago, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Coppenhagen. The Adventurers' Club of Los Angeles remains active, as does the Adventurers' Club of Honolulu and the Adventurers' Club of Denmark.

Members

In 1925, the club had 185 total members, of whom 140 were active. The Adventurers' Golden Jubilee listed 195 active members and 68 associate members, for a total of 263.
Among the members of the Adventurers' Club of New York were many prominent citizens, travelers, writers, artists and explorers, including the following. Members who attended the first meeting on December 7, 1912, are indicated with "," for original.
Notable speakers before the club include the following:
#FromToPresident
119121917Henry Collins Walsh
219181918Robert Welles Ritchie
319191925William E. Aughinbaugh
419261927Wesley H. Wallace
519281928Norman Schwarzkopf
619291930George W. B. Witten
719301930Fred J. Willock
819301930George W. B. Witten
919311931Wyndham Phinny
1019321932C. E. Russell
1119331933John J. Lyons
1219341935Tex O'Rourke
1319361937Raymond C. Schindler
1419391939Henry M. Kalvin
1519401940Lewis N. Cotlow
1619411942Charles R. Haffenden
1719431944John McElraevy, Jr.
1819451945
1919461946Charles R. Haffenden
2019471947Raymond C. Schindler
2119481948Harry Bruno
2219491949Harry C. M. Reed
2319501950Arthur M. Menken
2419511951G. Theon Wright
2519521952Norris L. Bowen
2619521952
2719531953
2819541954Edward L. Bill
2919551955G. Theon Wright
3019561956John S. Davis, Jr.
3119571957Raymond E. Buck
3219581958Bernt Balchen
3319591959Patrick B. Fay
3419601960Ansel E. Talbert
3519611961A. Fred Nielson
3619621962Carl von Hoffman
37Frederick Houk Law

Award winners

The club also awarded medals and honors. Recipients include:

''Call to Adventure''

In 1935, Robert Spiers Benjamin edited an anthology Call to Adventure. Contributors were:

''The Adventurers' Golden Jubilee''

In 1964, the club published The Adventurers' Golden Jubilee 1912–1962: A History of the Adventurers Club of New York.