Lyceum and Lawn Tennis Club (1929–39: Lyceum) was a Cuban women's cultural, social, and physical fitness organization. Founded in 1929 in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, its first president was the journalist, suffragist and feminist, Berta Arocena de Martínez Márquez. The society established Cuba's first free public library, first children's library, and first course of instruction for librarians.

Early history

Modeled after similar Spanish women's social organizations,Stoner (2000), p. 80 the Lyceum was founded in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

by Berta Arocena, Carmen Castellanos, Dulce María Castellanos, Carmelina Guanche, Rebeca Gutiérrez, Matilde Martínez Márquez, Lillian Mederos, Reneé Méndez Capote, Sarah Méndez Capote, María Teresa Moré, Alicia Santamaría, Ofelia Tomé, and María Josefa Vidaurreta in 1929. Arocena served as the first president. Similar liberal and cultural societies of the period included the Union Club and the Vedado Tennis Club, which likewise predominantly consisted of Cuban members.

Merger

In 1939, Lyceum merged with "Tennis de Señoritas" and was renamed the Lyceum and Lawn Tennis Club. The organization's concentration included "education, public service, art, music, and democratic organization". It published a monthly magazine, ''Revista Lyceum'', of which Mirta Aguirre served as assistant editor-in-chief. University of Havana professor Piedad Maza served as the magazine's editor-in-chief from 1949 until its final issue in 1955. The Lyceum founded the country's first free public library and Cuba's first children's library, as well as offering the first librarian training class. The Lyceum also hosted notable art events in its exhibition hall, such as those of

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

(in 1942) and Lourdes Gomez Franca (1957, 1960).

Dissolution and legacy

The government of Fidel Castro disbanded the society in 1968 and many of its members were exiled to other countries. The Cuban Women's Club (1968-), formed in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, US, is modeled after the Lyceum and Lawn Tennis Club.

References

{{Authority control Sports organizations established in 1929 Organizations disestablished in 1968 Cultural organizations based in Cuba Women's clubs Organizations based in Havana History of Havana 1929 establishments in Cuba 1968 disestablishments in Cuba