The Owl Club is an all-male

final club Harvard College has several types of social clubs. These are split between gender-inclusive clubs recognized by the college, and unrecognized single-gender clubs which are subject to College sanctions. The Hasty Pudding Club holds claim as the old ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

founded in 1896.

History

The Owl Club was founded in 1896 by Reginald Mansfield Johnson, Malcolm Scollay Greenough, Jr., Frazier Curtis, Preston Player, Charles Clifford Payson, Austen Fox Riggs, and Dudley Hall Bradlee, Jr. Originally established as a secret society, the Club held its meetings in Cambridge's Polo Club Alley before purchasing land on the corner of Holyoke Street and Holyoke Place in 1901. In 1905, architect James Purdon of Purdon & Little drew up plans for the

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

clubhouse, and on June 24 of that year the cornerstone of the present clubhouse was laid. The new building was formally opened on March 24, 1906, the tenth anniversary of the Club. In 1916, it was voted to officially change the name from “Phi Delta Psi Club” to “Owl Club”. The club had become known as The Owl as an abbreviation of its Greek name, Ἀυλὸς χαὶ Ἔκπωμα.

Notable members

* Archibald C. Coolidge '87 — Harvard professor and diplomat (Honorary Member). * Robert W. Bliss '00 — American diplomat (Honorary Member). * Edward B. Cole '02 — United States Marine Corps Major, expert on machine guns, casualty at the

Battle of Belleau Wood The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. 2nd (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and 3rd Divisi ...

Harry Elkins Widener Harry Elkins Widener (January 3, 1885 – April 15, 1912) was an American businessman and bibliophile, and a member of the Widener family. His mother built Harvard University's Widener Memorial Library in his memory, after his death on the founde ...

'07 — Benefactor and namesake,

Widener Library The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, housing some 3.5million books in its "vast and cavernous" stacks (library architecture), stacks, is the centerpiece of the Harvard College Libraries (the libraries of Harvard's Harvard Faculty of Arts an ...

; casualty on the wreck of the

RMS Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

ocean liner. *

George Minot George Richards Minot (December 2, 1885 – February 25, 1950) was an American medical researcher who shared the 1934 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize with George Hoyt Whipple and William P. Murphy for their pioneering work on p ...

, '08 — Winner of the 1934 Nobel Prize in Medicine. *

George Biddle George Biddle (January 24, 1885 – November 6, 1973) was an American painter, muralist and lithographer, best known for his social realism and combat art. A childhood friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he played a major role in establi ...

, '08 — American muralist and painter. *

Hanford MacNider Lieutenant General Hanford MacNider (October 2, 1889 – February 18, 1968) was a senior officer of the United States Army who fought in both world wars. He also served as a diplomat, the Assistant Secretary of War of the United States from 192 ...

, '11 —

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Lieutenant General and

Assistant Secretary of War The United States Assistant Secretary of War was the second–ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to thMilitary Laws of the United States "The act of August 5 ...

. * Bobby Jones, '24 — Amateur golfer and winner of the

Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

in 1930; Founder of

Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Unlike most private clubs which operate as non-profits, Augusta National is a for-profit corporation, and it does n ...

and the

Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...

. * William Gurdon Saltonstall, '28 — American educator, ninth Principal of

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

. *

Theodore Roosevelt III Theodore Roosevelt IV ( ) (June 14, 1914 – May 2, 2001), also known as Theodore III, was an American banker, government official, and veteran of World War II. He was a grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt through his father, Brig. Gen. Theo ...

, '36 — Grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt. *Robert G. Stone, Jr., '45-'47 — Former Chairman of the

Harvard Corporation The President and Fellows of Harvard College (also called the Harvard Corporation or just the Corporation) is the smaller and more powerful of Harvard University's two governing boards, and is now the oldest corporation in America. Together with ...

. * J. William Middendorf, III, '47 — U.S.

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

from 1974 to 1977; U.S. Ambassador to the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...

. * Edward "Ted" Kennedy, '54-'56 — U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. *

Richard Darman Richard Gordon "Dick" Darman (May 10, 1943January 25, 2008) was an American businessman and government official who served in senior positions during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Early life Darman was born in Charlot ...

, '64 — Senior Advisor to Presidents

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

and

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

. * Sean M. Healey, '70 — Founder, Chairman, and Former CEO of AMG. * Charles Hamlin, '70 — Member of 1968 US Olympic rowing team. * Ford M. Fraker, '71 — U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; President of the

Middle East Policy Council The Middle East Policy Council (MEPC) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization that produces analysis and commentary on issues impacting U.S. national interests in the Middle East. It was founded in 1981 under the stated mission ...

. *

Richard Cashin Richard Joseph Cashin, (born January 5, 1937 in St. John's, Newfoundland) is a lawyer, former Canadian politician and trade union leader. The grandson of Sir Michael Cashin, KBE and nephew of Peter Cashin, Richard Cashin is a member of a ...

, '75 — Member of 1976 US Olympic rowing team. * Christopher Wood, '75 — Member of 1976 US Olympic rowing team. * Alan Shealy, '75 — Member of 1976 US Olympic rowing team. *

Charles Veley Charles Veley is an United States of America, American claimant to the title of the world's most-traveled person. Mosttraveledpeople.com Veley operated a website, mosttraveledpeople.com, which detailed his travels and invited people to register th ...

, '87 — World's most-traveled man. *

Cole Toner Cole Toner (born March 13, 1994) is an American football center who is a free agent. He played college football at Harvard and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. College career Toner started at rig ...

, '16, American football offensive guard. Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft *

Raymond McGuire Raymond J. McGuire (born January 23, 1957) is an American businessman and political candidate who worked as an executive at Citigroup. McGuire was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. Early life and ...

, '79, American businessman and political candidate who worked as an executive at Citigroup * Thomas Foley, '75, American politician and business man, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from 2006 to 2009 * Adam Fox, '20, American professional ice hockey defense man for the New York Rangers. 2021 winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman Rupert Hitzig '60 ,American director, producer, actor, and screenwriter who produced The Last Dragon (1985), Jaws 3 (1983), and The Squeeze (1987) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Hitzig Andrew Cadiff'77, American producer and television director who directed Chasing Liberty Tommy Lee Jones '69,American actor, Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Fugitive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Lee_Jones

Notes

References

* Owl Club of Harvard College, Membership Directory, 1998, Puritan Press, New Hampshire

History

Notable members

Notes

References

Further reading