The Golden Anniversary of the Union Club was celebrated September 22, 1938. It was attended by two of the charter members, John S. Baker and Alexander Baillie, as well as members of the "Old Guard" and current members. The Club came into being in the summer of 1888, when a need was recognized for an organization to further the fledgling Tacoma's growing business interests and for a place to entertain distinguished guests. It was organized by the late George Browne, who met with 30 local business men to form the first club. Soon the club had 100 members, paying dues of $250 each. Proceeds were used to build the Clubhouse. (T. Times 9/23/1938, pg. 18)

Union Club (Tacoma);

Josephine Graves shares with Kay Thompson her new April 28, 1947 issue of Life Magazine. The pictured mothers and daughters are taking a break from planning the University Union Club's springtime social event, the Mothers and Daughters' Tea, to peruse the magazine's pictures of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party from the American Repertory Theatre's production of "Alice in Wonderland." The tea will be held May 21, 1947 at the club with entertainment and corsages for all the mothers. L-R, back row: Jean M. (Mrs. Armond) Marion, Suzanne Marion, Mary B. (Mrs. George) Russell, Milfred Russell, and Janice Graves. Front row: Jane Thompson, Iris T. (Mrs. William) Healy, Helen B. (Mrs. J. Arthur) Thompson, Kay Thompson, and Josephine M. (Mrs. Jay P.) Graves. In foreground, Katherine Healy. (T.Times, 5/17/1947, p.9)

Clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Girls--Tacoma--1940-1950;

University Union Club members will wear chef's hats and aprons for their Saint Patrick's Day "Steak-Fry", each member will cook their own steak on the kitchen range. A Vaudeville stage show will follow the dinner. View of University Union Club members getting ready to cook their own steak and celebrating St. Patrick's Day, raw steaks on table (T. Times, 3/15/47, p. 3).

Saint Patrick's Day--Tacoma; Cookery--Tacoma; Cooks; Men--Clubs--Tacoma; Aprons--Tacoma; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

University Union Club. Wives of the executive board received other wives of members at a Christmas Tea on December 13th, 1946. L-R, Beryl (Mrs. Edward) Gazecki, Peggy E. (Mrs. Ted) Brown, Catherine (Mrs. Arthur) Gunderson, Barbara B. (Mrs. Warren Y.) Hull, Grace M. (Mrs. C. Nathan) Lynn, Alice G. (Mrs. Charles M.) Fogg, and Florence B. (Mrs Clifford) Sayre. (T.Times, 12/14/1946, p.8)

Clubwomen--Tacoma--1940-1950; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hats--1940-1950; Gazecki, Beryl; Brown, Peggy E.; Gunderson, Catherine L.; Hull, Barbara B.; Lynn, Grace M.; Fogg, Alice G.; Sayre, Florence B.;

In January of 1947, the University Union Club held their annual "Stag and Doe" party. They were featuring a smorgasbord style buffet with traditional Scandinavian cuisine. They had a committee in charge of all arrangement and they would be wearing Scandinavian costumes for the event. View of committee dressed and ready for the grand event including Mr. and Mrs. Leslie E. Jensen, Dr. and Mrs. Cleve N. Olson and Mrs. Lawrence Ghilarducci. (T. Times, 2/1/47, p. 9- alt. photograph).

Costumes--Scandinavian; Buffets (Cookery)--Tacoma; Cookery, Scandinavian; Accordions; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

Two men enjoy drinks and conversation at the Electrical Products Banquet on June 3, 1946, which was held at the University Union Club. Newly sworn in mayor C. Val Fawcett was also in attendance.

Conversation;

Tacoma Mayor C. Val Fawcett, (2nd from R), with a group of men attending the Electrical Products Banquet at the University - Union Club the evening of his June 3rd swearing in. Mayor Fawcett was already well known in Tacoma politics as he had served four terms as finance commissioner and also assumed the duties of mayor for an extended period of time when Harry P. Cain entered the Army. Val Fawcett was the son of former multi-term mayor A.V. Fawcett, nicknamed the "fightin' mayor." ALBUM 14.

Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Gerald Thomas (third from left, front row) will be representing Tacoma in the 2nd Annual International Model Plane Contest, which is being sponsored by the Plymouth Motor Corporation. Gerald is the winner of the model plane contest that took place in Tacoma at Stadium Bowl. He will be traveling to Detroit, Michigan to participate in the big event, all expenses are being covered by the Tacoma Plymouth dealerships. Gerald is showing the Tacoma Plymouth representatives his award winning airplanes (T. Times, 8/16/48, p. 11).

Model airplanes; Contests--Tacoma; Competition entries--Tacoma; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Plymouth Aero League (Tacoma); Thomas, Gerald;

The University-Union Club and the Tacoma Club had a combined 18 teams competing in the annual inter-club domino tournament in 1949. Members from the Tacoma Club won a majority of the domino games. View of members from the two clubs during an exciting and competitive game of dominos. Held at the University- Union Club Building at 539 Broadway. Names appear in newspaper (T.N.T., 4/3/49, p. A-13).

Dominoes; Tournaments--Tacoma; Men--Social life--Tacoma; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Tacoma Club (Tacoma);

University Union Club Steak Fry. Club members sit around the table with their napkins tucked in at their chins preparing to chow down at this annual event. Once a year, members would gather together to cook their own steaks and enjoy a show at the Club. The event was usually sold out.

Clubs--Tacoma--1950-1960; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

Alfred Copp, far right, was the chairman for the "Sadie Hawkins" costume ball planning committee in March of 1941. He had to hand crank the committee's "jalopy" to get everyone to their pre-party rehearsal. The dance was to be held at the University Union Club and everyone attending the "Dogpatch" themed affair was encouraged to dress like one of the characters in the popular "Lil' Abner" comic strip. The other committee members are: (l to r) Dr. Carroll Carlson, Miss Frances Parlaman, James Will, Miss Muriel McDonald, Mrs. Helen D. Mann and Mrs. Dolores Carlson. The "jalopy" is a 1906 Model N Ford which was owned by Leon Titus. ( T.Times 3/11/1941, pg. 9)

Dance parties--Tacoma--1940-1950; Copp, Alfred E.; Carlson, Carroll; Parlaman, Frances; Will, James W.; McDonald, Muriel; Mann, Helen D.; Carlson, Dolores; Ford automobile;

Saint Patrick's Day Dinner and Stag Night at University - Union Club. Two members enjoy the company of a costumed dancer.

Saint Patrick's Day--Tacoma; Cooks; Men--Clubs--Tacoma; Aprons--Tacoma; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

University-Union Club formal dance. Group of four society couples gathered for informal portrait in front of large, American flag. The four people in the center of the photo are tentatively identified as Augusta (Mrs. Bartlett) Rummel, Barbara Ball Hewitt, Bill Brown and Henry Hewitt.

University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

University-Union Club formal dance. Party-goers in overcoats standing by long, striped canvas awning at entrance. Several women are wearing fur coats, one has her hands tucked inside a matching fur muff.

University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

University-Union Club formal dance. Four men are pictured clowning around, all dressed in tuxedos and sporting gruesome false teeth. The men are identified as, left to right, Horace Wright, Norton Clapp, future mayor Harry P. Cain and an unidentified man.

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Clapp, Norton, 1906-1995 ; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

The room is swaying to the swinging sounds of Stan Miskoski and his orchestra at the University Union Club's Sadie Hawkins dance on March 15, 1941. The orchestra is attired in keeping with the Dogpatch theme of the Club's first costume ball in two years. Sadie Hawkins Day was an American Folk event started by Al Capp in his Li'l Abner comic strip. Decades before women's liberation, it was the day when emboldened females could ask out the man of their choice.

University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Dance parties--Tacoma--1940-1950; Miskoski, Stan;

Judges Banquet at Univ.- Union Club. Each year state supreme court judges gathered for a banquet; the November 21, 1941, dinner at the University-Union Club would have been the 34th. Also invited were Pierce County superior court judges and judges of the federal courts. Reno Odlin, Tacoma banker, was the toastmaster. Mayor Harry P. Cain is standing, extreme right; seated in the center is Chief Justice John Robinson, flanked by Supreme Court justices John F. Main and George B. Simpson. U.S District Court Judge Lloyd T. Black is seated, extreme right. ALBUM 12. (T.Times 11-19-41, p. 10)

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Judges--Tacoma; Robinson, John; Main, John T.; Simpson, George B.; Black, Lloyd T.;

The Spinster Club held their annual tea at the University - Union Club on October 19, 1941. A young unidentified woman is pictured here with a floral piece in shape of an "S." Despite its name, the club was not restricted to unmarried women. It served as a social club for Tacoma girls, many from prominent local families. (T. Times, 10-25-41, p. 3) [Also dated 10-18-1941]

Spinster Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Flowers--Tacoma--1940-1950; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

Members of the planning committee for the University Union's Club pre-Christmas tea, scheduled for December 2, 1941, pose for this publicity shot at the Club. Standing, left to right, are Katherine (Mrs. John) Mueller, Mrs. Harry A.D. Smith, Kathryn (Mrs. H.R.) Pirret and Antoinette (Mrs. Harold K.) Nichols. Seated, L to R, Dorothy (Mrs. Jess) Read, Jane (Mrs. Edwin) Warren, Esther (Mrs. C.M.) Langhorne, and Marian (Mrs. J. Corning) Todd. (T.Times 11/29/1941, pg. 5)

University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Mueller, Katherine; Pirret, Kathryn; Nichols, Antoinette; Read, Dorothy; Warren, Jane; Langhorne, Esther; Todd, Marian;

ca. 1943. Publicity for St. Patrick's Stag Night at University-Union Club. (work order dated 1/13/1943) Picture possibly from March of 1943.

University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Men--Clubs--Tacoma;

Miss Janet Saxton has fashion flair in a fitted coat for the Tribune Spring fashion layout. Miss Saxton exits from the University Union Club where she has been planning some of the festivities for her upcoming marriage 3/24/1951 to Frank DeMilt Hill. The fitted coat has military style buttons and flared lines, and is topped by the extended flange shoulder. (TNT 2/28/1951, pg. C-5)

Saxton, Janet; Coats--1950-1960; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hats--1950-1960; Fashion models--Tacoma--1950-1960; Posing; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma)--Buildings;

Associated General Contractors, convention. Over 100 delegates, contractors from all parts of the Northwest, and their wives gathered in Tacoma for the first annual convention of the Pacific Northwest Branch of the Associated General Contractors February 3-4, 1955 at the Winthrop Hotel. A full schedule of luncheons and social activities were planned for the delegates' wives. The Thursday schedule featured cocktails at the University Union Club followed by lunch at Johnny's Dock and the evening reception at the Crystal Ballroom of the Winthrop Hotel. Friday's schedule was lunch at the University Union club and a dinner dance at the Crystal Ballroom. The Ladies' Day Committee consisted of Mrs. James W. Purvis, Mrs. Robert Earley and Mrs J.A. Woodard. (TNT 2/3/1955, pg. A-8 and 2/4/1955, section D)

Associated General Contractors, Tacoma Chapter (Tacoma); University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Associated General Contractors, convention. Group picture of women, wives of convention delegates, from all parts of the Northwest gathered on the steps of the University Union Club following Thursday noon luncheon. A full schedule of luncheons and social activities were planned for those wives attending the first annual convention of the Pacific Northwest Branch of the Associated General Contractors of America held February 3-4, 1955 at the Winthrop Hotel. (TNT 2/4/1955, pg. D-5)

Associated General Contractors, Tacoma Chapter (Tacoma); University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960;

University Union Club's annual St. Patrick's Day Steak Fry. Club members joined together at this event to don Chefs' attire and cook their own steaks to their personal perfection. The year of 1955 was the Club's 15th annual Stag Steak Fry. The reservation capacity for the St. Patrick's Day affair was 300 and was usually fully attended. The event included not only steak but also a special salad bar, personalized aprons, games and a "great show." (TNT 3/16/1955, pg. 8)

Saint Patrick's Day--Tacoma; Cookery--Tacoma; Cooks; Men--Clubs--Tacoma; Aprons--Tacoma; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

Laughing guests of the Archie McLeans attend the McLeans costume party held at the University-Union Club on November 28, 1954. The man on the left is dressed in a Heidelberg beer barrel with a Lucky Lager brand horseshoe attached. One of the women is costumed like Wee Willie Winkie in her striped nightgown and candlestick while the second woman's garb has a faintly Chinese connection. The person most nattily dressed is the man dressed in Spanish attire with cummerbund and black hat. Photograph ordered by the News Tribune for a section on the McLeans party; however, this particular photograph was not included in the December 4, 1954, issue. (other party photos TNT 12-4-54, p. 5)

Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma);

Outgoing University-Union Club president James A. Milgard examines the club's ledger with incoming president Thomas L. Fishburne (r) on July 21, 1971. Mr. Fishburne was an attorney with the firm of Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson, O'Hern & Johnson. Mr. Milgard was associated with Milgard Mfg. which would later become the largest producer of residential windows in the western United States. Photograph ordered by the University-Union Club of Tacoma.

University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Milgard, James A.; Fishburne, Thomas L.;

Rotary Club Scotsmen at the Union Club. James Gifford Newbegin, who would be appointed mayor in 1929 upon the resignation of Melvin G. Tennent, is at extreme right in this April 26, 1928, photograph. With the exception of one properly dressed Scotsman third to the right, the other Rotary Club members have patched together costumes consisting of tablecloth "kilts," wisk brooms in place of sporrans, and vacuum cleaner hoses and bags in lieu of bagpipes. G23.1-157

Rotary Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1920-1930; Union Club (Tacoma); Newbegin, James G.;

ca. 1891. This was the smoking room of the Union Club, 539 Broadway, circa 1891. The Union Club was built in 1888 by prominent Tacoma businessmen who sought to form a social organization and construct a building where they could spend leisure hours, develop friendships and probable favorable business connections. The clubhouse was a handsome five-story building which overlooked Commencement Bay and faced Broadway (then called "C" St.) The main entrance was on the third floor which also contained the reception room, steward's apartment, dining room, reading and waiting room, and according to the Tacoma Daily Ledger of June 6, 1890, the "general loafing and smoking room." The smoking room opened up on a veranda that ran the full length of the building on the east. The room was furnished with comfortable leather chairs and couches along with gas fixtures and a fireplace. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 6-6-1890)

Union Club (Tacoma); Clubhouses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Smoking rooms--Tacoma;

ca. 1891. The Union Club, built in 1888, provided a serene and relaxing atmosphere for its select membership which initially brought together many of the city's well known businessmen. Membership was limited to 400 in three classes with 200 proprietary members given votes in controlling club affairs, 100 associate members who enjoyed the same privileges as the proprietary without the ability to vote, and 100 non-resident members. Elegant furnishings brought the cost of the club to $40,000 which also included the lots and structure. Pictured above is a view of the front hall and grand staircase, finished in cherry with carved trimmings. Although the photograph by LaRoche & French is labeled "first floor," the main entrance actually opened on the third floor. It was the first, however, of the two main floors which the members would mostly use. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 6-6-1890-article; Morning Globe, 11-4-1889, p. 8-article)

Union Club (Tacoma); Clubhouses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Passageways--Tacoma--1890-1900; Stairways--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1891. The Greco-colonial five-story building housing the Union Club was located on the corner of Seventh and "C" (now Broadway) with breathtaking views of Commencement Bay. Among amenities enjoyed by its membership was this large billiard parlor on the fourth floor. The 20 x 32-foot room opened out upon the balcony and was directly above the club room. Four tables, three of which are visible, were available. Nearby were two card rooms that adjoined the porch. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 6-6-1890-article; Morning Globe, 11-4-1889, p. 8-article)

Union Club (Tacoma); Clubhouses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Billiard parlors--Tacoma;