Omaha daily bee., 1918-12-15
ATHLETIC CLUB
IS ENTIRELY AN
OMAHA PRODUCT
Idea Conceived Locally, and
Omaha Men and InStitu-
tons Furnish the
Supplies.

around table in the Lincoln Inn
OF which he is proprietor. Mr.. Ham
sens inspiration grew into one OF
activity, and at his own expense
he soon made a trip to Chicago,
Detroit, Minneapolis and several
other cities studying the various
angles in connection with the ath-
letic clubs which had been recently
built in those cities.
On his return to Omaha he called
en- George Brandeis, who belonged
TO the Chicago Athletic club and
knew the advantages of a club of
this kind. With the help of Mr..
Brandeis the wheels were imme-
diately put into motion and Thos.
+. Quinlan was selected to call a
meeting of a number of business
men to discuss the advisabilty of
an athletic club.
The meeting was called in the
Chamber of Commerce rooms early
in 1916 and was attended by A. L.
Mohler, Fred Davis, Luther Drake,
George w. Holdrege, John c.
Wharton, Father Cannon, A. w.
Jefferis, Frank Hamilton, Dean Tan
cock, w. d. Schall, the late George
Haverstick, N. B. Updike, George
Brandeis, A. r. Hansen Lysle Alb
bolt, w. A. Fraser, f. O. McCaffery
and Frank Judson. At this meeting
the actual concrete plans for the
club were laid. However, at that
time many said it would be out of
the question to get thousand men,
bers to join, and ridiculous to think
of selling three hundred life men,
berships, at $500 each.
Consult Promoter.
Charles H. Ginslinger of Wash
ington was consulted with. Mr..
'Ginslinger was a promoter and had
been instrumental in the promotion
of clubs in other cities. He wanted
a fee of $4,000 to look after the
building of the club and the clubs
promotion. This proposition was
turned down, and one of the biggest
features in connection with the
Omaha Athletic club is the fact that
it was promoted from an inspiration
to a club of 1900 yearly members
and 800 life members occupying a
property worth nearly million dol
lars entirely by Omaha business
men.
The first board OF directors chos-
en- was composed of Frank w. Jud-
son, N B. Updike, George Bran
deis, W. A. Fraser, the late George
Haverstick, A. w. Jefferis, and w.
A. Schall. Mr.. Updike soon re-
signed on account of his frequent
absence from the city and w. B. T.
Belt was chosen in his place.
Officers of Club.
The other officers of the club
chosen were w. A. Fraser, presi-
dent; F. w. Judson, vice-president;
George Brandeis, treasurer, and
John c. Wharton, secretary.
The building committee was COM
posed of George Brandeis, w. A.
Fraser and w. B. T. Belt. An ad-
visory board made up of twenty-five
business and professional men was
selected.
The first site selected for the club
was the ground now occupied by the
new Nebraska Telephone company
building, but many contended that it
was too far away from the business
section, and the permanent site Sc
lected was the ground owned by ].
l.. Brandeis & Sons next to the
Strand theater. 1t was necessary
to buy an adjoining lot owned by
Mrs. Maui. Arthur Brandeis was
here from New York at the time al d
he purchased this lot for $4,000
taking a second mortgage on the
building, thus securing for the club
a frontage of 1872 feet on Douglas
street between Seventeenth and
Eighteenth streets and 1872 feet deep
at total cost of about 100000.
Secure Members Fast.
The membership committee was
the next question, and Tho. F.
c Milan was made chairman, and in
a very few days over one thousand
memberships had been secured. In
the meantime war had been declared
BY the United States and they dis
continued taking members until
they had something tangible to show
in the way OF q building.
John Latenser & Sons, Omaha ar
chitects, were selected to draw the
plans and specifications for the club
building which was planned to cost
S550.000 based on the price of ma
terial at that time. The actual
designing of the building was done
by Frank Latenser and John Lat
enser. ir., two of Omaha's youngest
architects. Frank Latenser belongs
to the All American Athletic asso-
citation which probably spurred him
to his best efforts in the work of
designing the beautiful home of the
Omaha Athletic club.
The contractors chosen to con-
struct the building was the Selden-
Brock company, and the first ground
was broken early in 1917, followed
by the actual construction of the
building Immediately. 1t was ex-
pected that the building would be
ready to occupy by Christmas that
year, but owing to the delay of
setting material caused by the war
the opening has been delayed almost
II months.
Supplies From Omaha.
The plumbing and heating plant
was installed by J. J. Hannighen
decorations by Orchard & Wilhelm
company, in fact everything enter
ing into the building or furnishing
of the club was bought in Omaha
that could possibly be obtained here.
The total cost of the ground,
building and furnishings. which