Legacy Finding Aid for Manuscript and Photograph Collections
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The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is a community-supported educational and research organization that collects, interprets, and shares the history of our nation’s capital. Founded in 1894, it serves a diverse audience through its collections, public programs, exhibits, and publications. THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FINDING AID
Title: MS 554 The 13 Club Records, 1921-1991
Processor: Katy Kendrick
Date: January 2000
Organized in Washington, D.C., about 1918, The 13 Club offered “the average man in business” an opportunity to develop skills and relationships that would help him achieve success. The club’s motto was “Advancement through Contact,” and its objects, as stated in its constitution, were “to develop in its membership the ability to speak in public, and, to educate its members in parliamentary procedure; to offer them the advantages of constructive criticism; to encourage the desire for research into worthy subjects; to promote friendship and goodwill; to instill into them the aspirations for success, and, lastly, in dealing with the public, to foster justice and good citizenship.”
The club was founded by Don Holt, a government building contractor working in Washington during World War I. Shortly before relocating here, Holt had founded a 13 Club in his hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. The name supposedly derived from the number present at the first meeting of the Iowa club, but in 1923 the Washington club adopted Benjamin Franklin as its “patron genius” and officially based its name on Franklin’s thirteen principles of virtue and good citizenship.
Members represented a variety of Washington-area businesses, including May Hardware, Peoples Drug, Woodward & Lothrop, and the publishing firm of Judd & Detweiler, but the roster also included lawyers, bankers, doctors, and government employees. Membership often grew along company and family lines as members invited co-workers and relatives to meetings.
Meetings were held twice a month at various locations—hotels, clubs, restaurants, and occasionally members’ homes. The first monthly meeting was a dinner meeting, more of a social affair. Meetings were conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order and sometimes included exercises in parliamentary procedure prepared by a special officer, the Parliamentarian. The main event was the speaking program, in which members gave prepared speeches on assigned topics and an appointed critic judged their performance. Speech topics ranged from local politics and financial advice to foreign affairs, history, career development, science and technology, sports and hobbies, and family life. The club also hosted guest speakers, such as congressmen, military officers, business leaders, and local officials.
Special events included Past Presidents Night, the first meeting in January, when the 13 Club inducted new officers and paid tribute to its outgoing and former presidents. The 2 biggest social event of the year was Ladies Night, a banquet usually held at the Columbia or Congressional Country Club. There were also summer outings to places like Griffith Stadium, Rosecroft Raceway, and Fort Belvoir. In 1936, the 13 Club held its Twentieth Anniversary Meeting at the Willard Hotel.
The 13 Club played an active role in Washington civic life. Members engaged in debate with other organizations—Epworth League, the Optimist Club, and the Heurich Brewery’s own XIII Club—lent support to local charities and causes, and adopted resolutions on matters of local and national interest. The club took a special interest in youth, working with the Boys Club of Washington and sponsoring father-son activities.
The size of the club varied over the years, growing during the 1920s to as many as 50 active members before the limit was set at 31 in 1938. Although turnover was relatively high, a significant number of members remained active for many years or kept close ties to the club as associate members. In 1975, declining attendance prompted the club to reduce its meetings to once a month. In 1985, the club lifted its men-only policy and soon afterwards inducted its first woman member. At the time of processing this collection, the club was still functioning, although in a limited capacity.
Scope and Content: The 13 Club Records, 1921-1991, consist of meetings, minutes, bulletins, agendas, correspondence, financial records, constitution and by-laws, membership applications, attendance records, registers, annual and committee reports, newspaper clippings, a history of the club written and published by its members (1991), parliamentary procedure guides and exercises, an unpublished manuscript on parliamentary law written by a club member, assorted memorabilia, and a few photographs. There is also some photocopied material related to the history of the 13 Club of Sioux City, Iowa, collected by the club historian.
The strength of this collection is in the minutes (1921-1972) and bulletins (1924-1976), which describe club business, social activities, and speaking programs. Unfortunately, the speeches themselves were not transcribed, but clues to members’ concerns and values can be gleaned from the titles. The membership lists, attendance records, and applications provide information about members’ occupations, education, and family life. A few applications include photographs.
Perhaps the most interesting item in the collection is the Secretary’s Record Book for 1934, compiled by J. F. Moulton. Moulton was an active member of the 13 Club during the 1930s, serving as secretary in 1934 and president in 1935. His scrapbook presents a complete portrait of the club’s interests and activities for an entire year. The collection also includes a register donated to the club by Moulton in 1935, signed by members.
As a resource for researchers, this collection provides insight into the history of professional and civic organizations in Washington and the social aspects of the twentieth-century male business world.
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The collection is organized by document type and then chronologically.
Size: 2.1 cubic ft. (4 containers)
Donor: J. Gregory Shields, 1998
Restrictions: None
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Container List
Container 1
Folder 1: Five copies of club history booklet, The 13 Club: Its Origin and Development, Aims and Purposes, 1991, written by Herbert G. Pillen and edited by James W. Shields. (17 pp.)
Folder 2: Manuscript and galleys for club history booklet, 1991, and notes and correspondence related to Mr. Pillen’s historical research, 1975.
Folder 3: Photocopied records of the 13 Club of Sioux City, Iowa, including articles of incorporation and by-laws, 1919; member list; and photograph, 1927.
Folder 4: Constitution and By-Laws, circa 1924-1948.
Folder 5: Constitution and By-Laws, 1955-1972.
Folder 6: “Declaration of Purposes and Aims” pamphlets. Folder also contains typewritten lists of Benjamin Franklin’s “Thirteen Principles” and an anonymous essay about club membership, “The Gauge.”
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1921-1972. Mostly internal between club members and officers regarding speaking programs, special events, financial accounts, and membership status. External correspondents include the Boys Club of Washington, 1932; Heurich Brewery’s XIII Club, 1938; and the Washington Star, 1949. Additional correspondence filed with special events, club history, and treasurer’s records.
Folder 8: Minutes, December 1921, 1923-1926, annual report attached.
Folder 9: Minutes, 1927-1929, annual and Parliamentarian’s reports attached.
Folder 10: Minutes, 1930-1933, annual and committee reports attached.
Folder 11: Minutes, 1934-1938, annual, committee, and financial reports attached. Minutes for 1934 are handwritten in a notebook; typed versions are bound in the Secretary’s Record Book (see Folder 42). [No minutes for 1939-1941.]
Folder 12: Minutes, 1942-1944, financial reports attached.
Folder 13: Minutes, 1945-1948, annual and financial reports attached.
Folder 14: Minutes, 1949-1951, financial reports attached.
Folder 15: Minutes, 1952-1956, annual and financial reports attached.
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Folder 16: Minutes, 1957-1959, financial and Entertainment Committee reports attached. [No minutes for 1960-1961.]
Folder 17: Minutes, 1962-1964, financial and Membership Committee reports attached.
Folder 18: Minutes, 1965-1967, financial and Entertainment Committee reports attached.
Folder 19: Minutes, 1968-1972, financial reports attached.
Folder 20: Bulletins, December 1924, January 1925-January 1926, 1928, 1932-1933, 1935-1936, January and December 1937, 1938. Mailed to members to announce upcoming meetings and events, initially titled “The Thirteener.” [No bulletins for 1939- 1941.]
Folder 21: Bulletins, 1942-1949.
Folder 22: Bulletins, 1950-1959. [No bulletins for 1960-1961.]
Folder 23: Bulletins, April and October 1962, March-May 1963, 1964-1972, January 1973, February and October 1974, January-March 1975, January 1976.
Folder 24: Meeting Agendas, 1963-1972.
Folder 25: Committee Reports, including Suggestions Committee, 1926, January 1927, 1930; Publicity Committee, January 1927; Welfare Committee, 1944; Entertainment Committee, 1970.
Folder 26: Lists of Officers and Committees, 1926-1976. Folder also includes “President’s Suggestions to Officers and Committees,” 1935.
Folder 27: Parliamentary Procedure exercises and guides. Folder also includes blank forms for a “voice test” and public speaking guidelines.
Folder 28: Manuscript, “Digest of Parliamentary Law,” by Philip B. Matz, 13 Club Parliamentarian, 1933. Folder also includes related correspondence.
Container 2
Folder 29: Treasurer’s Records, May 1921-December 1928. Bound book containing records of member accounts, receipts and disbursements.
Folder 30: Treasurer’s Records, 1928-1959. [Additional financial records are filed with the minutes and special events material.]
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Folder 31: Treasurer’s Records, 1960-1963.
Folder 32: Treasurer’s Records, 1964-1966.
Folder 33: Treasurer’s Records, 1967-1969.
Folder 34: Treasurer’s Records, 1970-1972.
Folder 35: Checkbooks, 1939-1942, 1960-1965, 1965-1970. [Checkbooks cover time periods for which minutes and bulletins are missing, 1939-1941 and 1960-1961.]
Container 3
Folder 36: Attendance Records, 1925-1930, 1932-1933, 1935-1936, 1942-1944, 1947- 1959, 1961-1972.
Folder 37: Membership Lists, 1921-1978.
Folder 38: Address book with member names, circa 1930-1931.
Folder 39: Register of the 13 Club, presented by President J. F. Moulton and signed by members, 1935.
Folder 40: Membership Applications, 1922-1975, arranged alphabetically.
Folder 41: Applicant Summaries, 1946-1971. Descriptions of new applicants mailed to members as part of the application process.
Folder 42: Secretary’s Record Book, 1934. Bound scrapbook compiled by J. F. Moulton, contains member data, minutes, bulletins, reports, correspondence, applications, memorabilia, and the 13 Club’s Certificate of Incorporation from 1924.
Container 4
Folder 43: Removals from Secretary’s Record Book, consisting of a page of correspondence, Secretary’s Annual Report for 1934, and a Ladies Night program, 1936.
Folder 44: Newspaper clippings, 1924-1977, including reports of club activities and member achievements, obituaries, and stories about public speaking, Robert’s Rules of Order, and service clubs.
Folder 45: Ladies Night programs and invitations, 1923-1955. 7
Folder 46: Ladies Night financial records, 1933-1954.
Folder 47: Past Presidents Night records, 1927, 1951-1975, including programs, invitations, biographical rosters, and financial reports.
Folder 48: Twentieth Anniversary Meeting records, 1936, including program, guest list, and a photograph (photocopy) of the meeting with related correspondence. (Original oversize photograph is catalogued separately as CHS 11029.)
Folder 49: Memorabilia, including an autographed postcard of German army officer Karl Spindler, a guest speaker at a club meeting, 1935; a pamphlet on “Shrines of George Washington,” an exhibit of artwork by club member A. J. Ted Meurer, 1939; a cartoon, “The ‘Thirteen Club’ gives its monthly dinner”; club songs; club letterhead; a menu from the Bonat Café in Washington.
Folder 50: Photograph, “13 Club Dance, Oct. 12, 1922.”