Cosmos Club

Cosmos Club
Formation1878; 146 years ago (1878)
TypePrivate social club
53-0052500
Location
ServicesHotel (50 rooms), dining, athletics, meetings
Websitecosmosclub.org
Cosmos Club
Cosmos Club is located in Washington, D.C.
Cosmos Club
Location of Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°54′41.3″N 77°2′51.6″W / 38.911472°N 77.047667°W / 38.911472; -77.047667
NRHP reference No.73002079
Added to NRHPApril 3, 1973

The Cosmos Club is a 501(c)(7) private social club in Washington, D.C., that was founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878 as a gentlemen's club for those interested in science.[1][2] Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, literature, and art and also their mutual improvement by social intercourse."[3]

Cosmos Club members include three United States presidents, two vice presidents, U.S. Supreme Court justices, artists, writers, businessmen, government officials, journalists, scientists, and university presidents, 36 Nobel Prize winners, 61 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 55 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients.[4][5] In 1988, the Club opened to women.[4]

  1. ^ Evans, Richard Tranter; Frye, Helen M. (2009). "History of the Topographic Branch (Division)" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey Circular. 1341. ISBN 9781411326125.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ The Cosmos Club: A Self Guided Tour of the Mansion (PDF). Washington, D.C.: The Cosmos Club. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Feinberg, Lawrence (1988-10-12). "18 Women End Cosmos Club's 110-Year Male Era". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).