The Rocky Mountain Club was incorporated in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

as an "Eastern Home of Western Men" with the purpose to "create good-fellowship among the members and advance the interests of the Rock Mountain States."

John Hays Hammond John Hays Hammond (March 31, 1855 – June 8, 1936) was an American mining engineer, diplomat, and philanthropist. He amassed a sizable fortune before the age of 40. An early advocate of deep mining, Hammond was given complete charge of Ce ...

was the only president. The original directors were: W. B. Thompson, A. J. Seligman, John Campbell Cory, B. B. Taylor,

Frederick Russell Burnham Frederick Russell Burnham DSO (May 11, 1861 – September 1, 1947) was an American scout and world-traveling adventurer. He is known for his service to the British South Africa Company and to the British Army in colonial Africa, and for teach ...

and J. J. McEvelly.

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

was a prominent member, along with U.S. Senator

Thomas Kearns Thomas Kearns (April 11, 1862 – October 18, 1918) was an American mining, banking, railroad, and newspaper magnate. He was a US Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905. Unlike the predominantly Mormon constituents of his state, Senator Kearns wa ...

of Utah and U.S. Senator W.A. Clark of Montana. Key dates in the history of the club include: * January 20, 1907 - incorporated * November 1, 1907 - Hotel Knickerbocker becomes the temporary headquarters * December 28, 1913 - moved to the

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at 65 West 44th Street, New York * January 30, 1917 - pledges $500,000 to Belgian relief * March 13, 1917 - begins recruitment effort to assist Roosevelt in forming a volunteer Army * April 25, 1926 - plans world tribute to John Hays Hammond * March 4, 1928 - disbands

World War I

The Club was highly critical of Woodrow Wilson for not entering the war against Germany earlier. Once Roosevelt obtained permission from the U.S. Congress to form a volunteer Army to help in France, Major Burnham was enlisted by the Club to raise the troops in the Western states and to coordinate recruitment efforts. Wilson ultimately rejected Roosevelt's plan and the volunteer Army disbanded. During the war, the club also raised $500,000 in relief funds for Belgium war refugees, and after the war it played a prominent part in helping U.S. soldiers from Western States re-incorporate into American society.

References

* Salt Lake Telegram, November 9, 1907 * New York Times, January 19, 1907 * New York Times, March 4, 1928 * John Hays Hammond, Sr. Papers. Manuscripts and Archives,

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

Library. * ''Autobiography of John Hays Hammond'',

, Farrar & Rinehart, 565. {{ISBN, 0-405-05913-2 (1935). 1907 establishments in New York City Organizations based in New York City Service organizations based in the United States