The Locust Club of Philadelphia Records

 

1920-1999 

 

SCRC 77

 

The Locust Club of Philadelphia

 

7 linear feet (10 boxes and 3 map case folders) 

 

Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries

 

Materials in English.

 

 

 

The Locust Club of Philadelphia was a social club founded by prominent Jewish businessmen in 1920.  Its fully-staffed clubhouse featured dining rooms, lounges, private banquet and meeting rooms, a card room, barber shop, and gymnasium.  In 1960, The Locust Club merged with the Midcity Club, a social club similarly organized in 1947.  Women were not accepted as club members until 1983.  The Locust Club closed in 1999, after a decade of sharply declining membership. 

 

This collection contains the records of The Locust Club and includes meeting minutes, correspondence, financial reports, membership information, news clippings, photographs, and ephemera that document the history of the organization. 

 

 

The collection is arranged into four series as follows:

 

Series 1: Committee Meeting Minutes, 1920-1999 

Series 2: Financial Reports, 1979, 1992-1998

Series 3: Administrative Files, 1949-1999

Series 4: Photographs, News Clippings, and Ephemera, circa 1920s-1996

 

Series 1: Committee Meeting Minutes, 1920-1999, contains meeting minutes from committees including the Admissions Committee, Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Employee Benefits Committee, Finance Committee, House Committee, Member Relations Committee, and Women’s Advisory Committee.  Many of the meeting minutes of the Board of Directors and Executive Committees are bound.  This series also contains meeting minutes for the Midcity Club prior to its merger with The Locust Club.  This series is arranged alphabetically by committee title, and then chronologically.   

 

Series 2: Financial Reports, 1979, 1992-1998, contains monthly financial statements and reports for the organization mostly from the 1990s.  This series is arranged chronologically.

 

Series 3: Administrative Files, 1949-1999, contains annual reports, by-laws, correspondence, employee benefits, house rules, lease and loan information, and membership files.  This series is arranged alphabetically by type of material. 

 

Series 4: Photographs, News Clippings, and Ephemera, circa 1920s-1996, contains planning materials from the 75th Anniversary of The Locust Club, as well as news clippings, photographs, club newsletters, and event invitations and fliers.  This series is arranged alphabetically by type of material.

 

 

 

A selection of photographs from this collection has been digitized and is available online on the Temple University Digital Collections website.  http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15037coll15

 

A record for this collection is available in Temple University’s online library catalog: http://diamond.temple.edu/record=b5658196~S30.

 

Collection is open for research. 

 

This collection may be housed off-site at the Library Depository, and require up to two business days to retrieve. Please review the finding aid and be prepared to identify specific materials to be retrieved. Contact the Special Collections Research Center in advance of your visit, so that materials may be relocated to the reading room for research. 

 

The Locust Club of Philadelphia Records are the property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Temple University holds intellectual property rights only for material donated to the university with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.

 

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], The Locust Club of Philadelphia Records, SCRC 77, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

 

 

 

Collection placed on deposit by The Locust Club of Philadelphia in 1974, and ownership devolved to the Philadelphia Jewish Archives Center in 1979.  Subsequent donations were made in 2000, 2001, and 2009.  

 

Collection previously administered by the Philadelphia Jewish Archives Center, acquired by Temple in June 2009.

 

 

Collection processed and finding aid prepared in August 2014 by Jenna Marrone, Project Archivist, Special Collections Research Center. 

 

 

 

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in Temple University’s electronic catalog:

 

Midcity Club of Philadelphia

The Locust Club of Philadelphia

 

Jews -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

Jews -- Societies, etc.

Private clubs

 

Philadelphia (Pa.)

 

Administrative records

Articles of incorporation

Bylaws (administrative records)

Charters 

Clippings

Correspondence

Directories

Ephemera

Financial records

Histories

Legal documents

Membership lists

Minutes

Newsletters

Photocopies

Photographs

Speeches

 

 

 

Series 1: Committee Meeting Minutes, 1920-1999, contains meeting minutes from committees including the Admissions Committee, Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Employee Benefits Committee, Finance Committee, House Committee, Member Relations Committee, and Women’s Advisory Committee.  Many of the meeting minutes of the Board of Directors and Executive Committees are bound.  This series also contains meeting minutes for the Midcity Club prior to its merger with The Locust Club.  This series is arranged alphabetically by committee title, and then chronologically.   

 

 

 

1          1          Admissions Committee          1976-1986

1          2          Admissions Committee          1987-1995

1          3          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1920-1932

1          4          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1952

1          5          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1957-1959

2          1          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1960-1962

2          2          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1962-1965

2          3          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1965-1968

3          1          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1969-1973

3          2          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1973-1978

3          3          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1979-1986

4          1          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1986-1990

4          2          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1990-1992

4          3          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1991

4          4          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1991-1995

5          1          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1993-1997

5          2          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee          1995-1999

5          3          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee: Midcity Club          1956-1959

6          1          Board of Directors/ Executive Committee: Midcity Club          1959-1960

6          2          Employee Benefits Committee          1988-1995

10          1          Finance Committee          1974-1975

6          3          Finance Committee          1990-1999

6          4          House Committee          1988-1995

6          5          Member Relations Committee          1990-1995

6          6          Nominating Committee          1961-1990s

10          2         Planning Committee          1977

10          3          Special Meeting of Club membership          1978 

6          7          Women's Advisory Committee          1990-1995

6          8          Various Committees          1990-1993

 

Series 2: Financial Reports, 1979, 1992-1998, contains monthly financial statements and reports for the organization mostly from the 1990s.  This series is arranged chronologically.

 

 

10          4          General financial statements and reports, 1979, 1995-1998

6          9          Financial reports          1992

7          1          Financial reports          1993

7          2          Financial reports          1994

7          3          Financial reports          1995

7          4          Financial reports          1995

7          5          Financial reports          1996

7          6          Financial reports          1997

 

 

Series 3: Administrative Files, 1949-1999, contains annual reports, by-laws, correspondence, employee benefits, house rules, lease and loan information, and membership files.  This series is arranged alphabetically by type of material. 

 

 

8          1          Amendments to the Articles of Consolidation          1960, 1964

10          5          Annual reports          1977-1978

8          2          Annual reports          1985-1996

8          3          By-laws and charter          1985-1994

8          4          By-laws and house rules          circa 1950s

8          5          By-laws, house rules, and club facilities          circa 1973

M1          D          Charter: Locust Club          1920

M1          D          Charter: Midcity Club          1947

8          6          Correspondence, general          1949, 1982-1997

10          6          Correspondence regarding membership          1961, 1986-1993

8          7          Correspondence regarding the purchase of artwork          1990

8          8          Correspondence regarding women's membership          1975-1978

8          9          Correspondence regarding women's membership          1975-1978

10          7          Correspondence with Malmud, Leonard S.          1976-1978, 1992

8          10          Employees: benefits, correspondence, and organizational chart          1990-1991

8          11          History of the Locust Club          1989-1991

8          12          Lease agreement and loans          1997-1998

8          13          Loan closing          1993

10          8          Luncheon menu price lists          1974, 1988

9          1          Member correspondence          1971-1999

10          9          Member statistics          1978-1998

9          2          Membership and committee directories          1989-1995

 

Series 4: Photographs, News Clippings, and Ephemera, circa 1920s-1996, contains planning materials from the 75th Anniversary of The Locust Club, as well as news clippings, photographs, club newsletters, and event invitations and fliers.  This series is arranged alphabetically by type of material.

 

 

9          3          75th Anniversary planning and banquet menus          circa 1996

9          4          75th Anniversary planning drafts          1994-1995

M1          D          Award certificate of appreciation for Karl Herman and John Bennung          1949

9          5          Award dinners: invitations and speeches          1989-1990

9          6          Event invitations, fliers, and news clippings (photocopies)          circa 1920s-1930s

9          7          Event fliers and advertisements          1990s

10          10          Membership dinners: agendas and speeches          1976-1978

9          8          News clippings (photocopies)          circa 1920s-1970s

9          9          Newsletters: The Leaf          1988-1996

9          10          Photographs: construction of Locust Club Building          1960-1961

9          11          Photographs: general          circa 1950s