New-York tribune., 1902-05-25
BIG GRADUATES CLUB.
REBUILDING OLD COLONIAL HOUSE,
NEW-HAvEN. FOR INCREASED MEM
EERSHIP- PUT PING PONG BALL
IN CORNERSTONE.

Ncu-Uavcn, Conn, May 2t-The Graduates
Club is now rebuilding an old Colonial house
H. Elm-st opposite the Green. for which it will
Ic..vc its present quarters in Chapcl-st in the
latter part Of the summer Most clubs are sumpt-
pou-. this is artistic. other clubs are 'restau-
fnts" as it was pat the other day; the Gradu-
atrs club is distnctvely homeIke. one can get
frillroom service. but one cares less for it than
for the friendly note Of equality which one finds
between professors instructors and graduate
students OF the university and the younger ana
older graduates who are in business or profes-
sions in the city. There is, perhaps no other
organization Of the kind in the country that at
tracts many men Of national and even world
wide regulations in scholarship and letters to
its frequent gatherings.
The Graduates Club has become more and
more popular among Yale men in NewHaven
and graduates of other colleges here since its
organization. in 1891, by a few graduate students
who wished to meet occasionally for discussions
over beer and pretzels. The four originals
met in one of the rooms of the company in the
Old AnketeH house, red frame farmhouse
standing on the present site of Hendre Hall
and next to the location Of the clubhouse
building only a few graduate students and
their friends met there until 1894, but there
were many good times around the blazing fire
IN the immense kitchen fireplace Demand for
tcrs led to the formation of the present Gradu-
ates' club Association in March, 1894, and the
attractive brick house in Chapel-st., the present
clubhouse then taken. Since then the de
mand for enlarged membership has been in
creasing and urgent At first there were 1.;
members who increased to 242 at the end of the
first year and to 2!tO a little later, number
which was then adopted as the limit The non
resident list has had an even more striking
growth III 1894 there were three out of town
graduates who were members; in lSa9 this mum
Der had increased to 195 in 1901 to 2Gl, and now
IT stands at 31O which includes few resident
graduate students The total membership has
recently been fixed at 325 resident members.
Ahe present total is GAS, including non-residents.
lew university clubs have had such a remark
ably rapid growth.
At the present rooms of the club display has
been avoided and simple yet striking artistic
effects have been brought about by the choice
of decorations The walls are hung with rare
old prints photographs of famous places and oil
portraits Of well known Yale professors while
il copy OF the full length portrait of Elihu Yale.
painted by @. Albert Thompson Il member of
the club, hangs in the banquet hall In the large
front assembly room on the second floor
hung occasional exhibits of oils and water col
crs. On the first floor the grilrOOms and
dining hall for regular boarders The middle
room of the suite is popular with MEM
fers. Old English inn tables and high backed
settles furnish it, and the walls lined with
prints and photographs On the second
floor are the clubrOoms the two large front
rooms being furnished as libraries and the long