Omaha Club

Last updated
Omaha Club
Formation1883;140 years ago (1883)
Dissolved2000
TypeSocial club
Legal statusIncorporated 1883
Headquarters Downtown Omaha
Location
  • 2002 Douglas Street, Omaha, NE
Key people
John A Creighton, Edward Cudahy, John Lee Webster, William Paxton, Thomas Lord Kimball, George Holdredge, and Henry W Yates

The Omaha Club was established in 1883 by business and professional men as a private male-only social club. [1] After several temporary locations, the first permanent building, an Italian Renaissance design by architect Thomas Rogers Kimball was opened on New Year's Day 1895 at the northwest corner of 20th and Douglas Streets. [2] Women were only allowed through a side door and restricted to a subdued ladies’ dining room. In 1965, after a vote where 85% of the membership approved, "The Little Old Lady of Douglas Street" was torn down. [3] It was replaced in 1966 with a Leo A Daly modernist design. [4]

History

At the turn of the 20th century, the Omaha Club was the most historically significant social club in the City of Omaha, having entertained many prominent guests including Winfield Scott Schley, Fitzhugh Lee, and John Coalter Bates. [5]

Five U.S. Presidents dined or registered at the club during their appearances in Omaha. From October 11 through October 13, 1898, the Omaha Club became the “Omaha White House” when President William McKinley and his party accepted an invitation to attend the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition., [1] Theodore Roosevelt stayed at the club on April 27, 1903, only three days after dedicating the Roosevelt Arch on April 24. [6] While dining at the club during his one-day visit on September 20, 1909, William Howard Taft made a special request for a truce in a contentious strike by street railway employees. [7] Appearing before the American Legion convention in Omaha on October 6, 1925, President Calvin Coolidge protested against "militarism" and urged, "tolerance in American life and regard for differences in creeds, races and religions." [8] Nebraska's only native to become president of the United States Gerald R. Ford personally dedicated his birth site to the people of Omaha on September 21, 1977, followed by dinner with civic leaders at the Omaha Club. [9]

The Omaha Club building was three storeys in height plus a basement and constructed of St Louis cream-colored brick with terra cotta trim. A billiard room, library, and reading room were in the basement. The upper floors featured large dining areas, private apartments, and an outdoor smoking terrace. The finishes were exquisite. Lavatories and floors were laid in Carrara marble. Wainscoting in the main dining room was of old cherry and sycamore wood. Three private dining rooms were finished in solid cherry, gum wood, and red birch. The third floor held ten sleeping rooms for use by members who desired to make their homes at the club. [3]

In 1968, member Warren Buffett successfully ended the Omaha Club’s long-standing policy of excluding Jews by sponsoring his friend, Herman Goldstein. Once Goldstein was voted in, "the long-standing religious barrier to membership there finally toppled." Buffett singlehandedly effected what was perhaps, "the most significant organizational change since its founding in one of Omaha's most elite institutions." [10]

Financial burdens and competition from exclusive membership golf courses prompted the downtown club’s dwindling constituents to approve dissolution on January 20, 2000. The building was sold to Locher, Cellilli, Pavelka & Dostal LLC law firm effective July 1, 2001. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Wing</span> Structure part of the White House complex

The West Wing of the White House houses the offices of the president of the United States. The West Wing contains the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, the Situation Room, and the Roosevelt Room.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Buffett</span> American politician (1903–1964)

Howard Homan Buffett was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He was a four-term Republican United States Representative for the state of Nebraska. He was the father of Warren Buffett, the American billionaire businessman and investor.

Borsheims is a luxury jewelry store that sells fine jewelry, timepieces, engagement rings and home decór in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1870, Norwegian immigrant and silversmith Louis Borsheims founded his independent jewelry business that would later become known as Borsheims. The luxury jewelry retailer began as Brown and Borsheim. In 1907, Louis A. Borsheim sold his interests in Brown and Borsheim, thus began the Omaha staple, Borsheims. The business was sold to Louis Friedman and Simon Gorelick in 1947. In 1950, Louis bought out his brother in law, Simon Gorelick and his son Ike joined the business, who both retained the Borsheims name. In 1980, Ike Friedman bought out his father, Louis. Ike's son Alan and son in law joined the business. In 1985, his other son in law, Donald Yale joined the business. His two daughters, Janis Yale and Susie Cohn also worked in the business.

<i>Omaha World-Herald</i> Daily newspaper published in Omaha, Nebraska

The Omaha World-Herald is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Rogers Kimball</span> American architect

Thomas Rogers Kimball was an American architect in Omaha, Nebraska. An architect-in-chief of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha in 1898, he served as national President of the American Institute of Architects from 1918–1920 and from 1919-1932 served on the Nebraska State Capitol Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omaha station (Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad)</span> Former station on the National Register of Historic Places, now a studio for television station KETV

Omaha station, located at 1001 South 10th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, is a historically and culturally significant landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is currently used as the studio facility for Omaha's ABC affiliate, television station KETV. When it was opened in 1898, this Italianate style building, designed by Thomas Rogers Kimball, was hailed by newspapers around the world for its grand architecture and accommodations. The station is a contributing property to the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District, and sits southeast of the Old Market, and immediately north of Little Italy.

Kent Bellows was an artist best known for his figurative works in the realist style. His artwork is sometimes referred to as meticulous realism, a subcategory referring to the artist's startling attention to detail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Down Town Association</span>

The Down Town Association in the City of New York, usually referred to as the Down Town Association or the DTA, for short, is a private club in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Fontenelle</span> Former hotel in Omaha, Nebraska

Hotel Fontenelle was an upscale hotel located at 1806 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Designed by noted architect Thomas Rogers Kimball in the Late Gothic Revival style, it opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1983. It was named after Logan Fontenelle, an interpreter for the Omaha Tribe when it ceded land to the U.S. government which became the city of Omaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paxton Hotel</span> Building in Nebraska, United States

The Paxton Hotel, formerly known as Paxton Manor and currently known as The Paxton, is located at 1403 Farnam Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Designed by local architect Joseph G. McArthur, the current building was constructed in 1928, with its predecessor dating from 1882. Named for local businessman and community leader William A. Paxton, today the building houses luxury condominia. It is one of the few significant Art Deco structures in Omaha today. Among some of the prominent guests who stayed at the Paxton were Buffalo Bill Cody and William Jennings Bryan, as well as President William McKinley stayed at the Paxton during the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in 1898.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Omaha Public Library</span>

The original Carnegie South Omaha Public Library, designed by Thomas R. Kimball, was built in 1904 at 23rd and M Streets in South Omaha, Nebraska. A Carnegie library, it was razed in December 1953; a new library constructed in the same spot opened in October 1954. The second library building was officially closed on May 17, 2008, when a new branch was opened at 2808 Q Street.

The Omaha Public Library in Omaha Nebraska currently has 13 locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Warren Buffett</span> American academic

Howard Warren Buffett is an American philanthropist, political consultant, political scientist, and writer. A grandson of the American businessman and investor Warren Buffett, he is an adjunct professor in public policy and international affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and was previously the executive director of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation that funds initiatives aimed at improving the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations. He previously led agriculture-based economic stabilization and redevelopment programs in Iraq and Afghanistan while at the United States Department of Defense, and as a policy advisor in the Executive Office of the President of the United States under President Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley M. Truhlsen</span> American ophthalmologist (1920–2021)

Stanley Marshall Truhlsen Sr. was an American ophthalmologist and university professor in Omaha who served as president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and as a governor of the American College of Surgeons, and led a number of Nebraska organizations.

The Omaha Athletic Club was a social club building located at 1714 Douglas Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The idea of such a building in downtown Omaha originated in 1915 when a group of Omaha businessmen, including George Brandeis, met to discuss its establishment.

John Andrew Singleton was a civil rights activist, dentist, and member of the Nebraska House of Representatives. He served as president of the Omaha, Nebraska, and then the Jamaica, New York, branches of the NAACP. He was an outspoken activist and received the nickname "the militant dentist" while living in Jamaica, New York.

Thomas P. Mahammitt was a journalist, caterer, civil rights activist, and civic leader from Omaha Nebraska. He was owner and editor for the black weekly, The Enterprise, Omaha's leading black paper at the turn of the 20th century. He was also an active leader in the Masons and the Boy Scouts and was named "Omaha's most distinguished Negro citizen" in 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Omaha mayoral election</span>

The 2021 Omaha mayoral election was held in 2021. Incumbent Republican mayor Jean Stothert was re-elected to a third term in office. Stothert is the first person elected to a third consecutive term as mayor of Omaha in the modern era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Lord Kimball</span> American railroad executive (1831–1899)

Thomas Lord Kimball was an American railroad executive. Born in Buxton, Maine, he worked various jobs before becoming an agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1860. He was appointed to various positions in the company, before moving to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1871 to work for Union Pacific. From there, he climbed the ranks, eventually being promoted to the position of vice-president. Kimball retired in 1897 and died in 1899.

References

  1. 1 2 “The Omaha Club” – Sunday Omaha World-Herald Magazine of the Midlands, April 10, 1983, p10
  2. Fogarty, Joan M, “Thomas Rogers Kimball - Nebraska Architect”, 2019, Printed in Omaha, Nebraska, ISBN   978-0-578-40122-5, p46
  3. 1 2 “The Omaha Club” – Sunday Omaha World-Herald Magazine of the Midlands, April 10, 1983, p11
  4. Julius Shulman photography archive, 1936-1997. Series IV. Job number 4107, 1934-2009
  5. "Omaha Club a Palatial and Hospitable Home" Omaha Daily Bee, September 21, 1902, p29
  6. "President Roosevelt's Swing" Sunday Omaha World-Herald, April 26, 1903, p28
  7. “OMAHA STRIKE HALTS WHEN TAFT IS THERE” New York Times, September 21, 1909, p5
  8. "LEGION CHEERS PRESIDENT; Omaha Convention Applauds Declaration That All Are Equal Here." New York Times, October 7, 1925, p1
  9. "Relaxed Ford Does 'Homework' for Visits", Omaha World-Herald, September 21, 1977, p3
  10. Schroeder, Alice “The Snowball” A Bantam Book ISBN   978-0-553-80509-3 - September 2008, pp 309–310
  11. “Moving” – Business Section, Omaha World-Herald, June 17, 2001, p3