The
Union League is a social club providing its members and guests with a quiet
sanctuary and relief from the hustle of the city. The dining rooms reflect a
subdued elegance with a chef and wine cellar that compare favorably with any in
the city or, members can drop by the club room for a light lunch or
supper.
Members gather cordially for social events, theatre evenings, wine tastings or
just to meet friends for a convivial drink at the bar.
An active speaker program includes Public Affairs forums which have hosted
outstanding speakers on current events since the 1880’s as well as library
events with notable authors.
The Club bestows four awards: The Lincoln Literary Award to outstanding
American authors, The Theodore Roosevelt American Experience Award to
individuals who have "enriched the American experience", The American
History Award to an individual who has had a significant and/or enduring impact
on, or relating to American History, and The Eastman Johnson Award to
individuals whose unique contributions to art and culture have elevated the
ideals of American Citizenship.
The Clubhouse
Architect Benjamin Wystar Morris (1870-1944)
designed the Clubhouse at 37th Street and Park Avenue and built it on property
that once belonged to the family J.P. Morgan. It was completed in 1931. The
Georgian exterior, with its symmetrical red brick facade, reflects familiar
motifs from Park Avenue brownstone mansions, but on a grand ten-story scale.
The architectural ensemble formed by the entrance foyer and grand staircase
stands as one of Morris’s great successes and as a New York landmark interior.
It is the Union League Club’s fourth Clubhouse.
Our Role in History
Founded in 1863 by a group of concerned citizens to help
preserve the Union, the Union League Club of New York has built, over ensuing
years, a record of distinguished service to our country. Members of The Union
League Club were instrumental in establishing The Metropolitan Museum of Art in
1870 as well as the Sanitary Commission, a predecessor organization to the
American Red Cross. It helped erect the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor
and the Lincoln Monument in Union Square. Its members were instrumental in
bringing down the “Boss” Tweed ring and in raising funds to outfit American
soldiers in several conflicts.
Many
prominent civic,
state and national leaders have enjoyed the fellowship of the ULC. Theodore
Roosevelt managed his early political career from the Club’s chambers. J.
Pierpont Morgan was a regular, along with John Jay, William Cullen Bryant,
Chester A. Arthur, and Thomas Nast. Fifteen Presidents, seven Senators, many
Congressmen, diplomats, cabinet members, and scores of CEOs of major corporations
have been members of the Club during the past hundred and fifty years and
have participated in its programs.