Sierra club

"The dedication of the new Lodge at Horse Camp, Mount Shasta took place at high noon on Fourth of July 1923... The crowning event was when Miss Harwood of Los Angeles stepped forward and with much vim and enthusiasm pronounced the words: 'I christen thee Shasta Alpine Lodge (crash went the bottle of Shasta Ginger Ale on the stone doorway) and dedicate thee to all lovers of the great out-of doors...'" (Sierra Club Circular, Sept. 1, 1923, p. 1).

The Sierra Club was founded in San Francisco in 1892. In addition to naturalist and author John Muir, the 182 charter members included artists, scientists, university professors, explorers and cartographers. Their intent, as expressed in the articles of incorporation, was: to explore, enjoy, and render accessible the mountain regions of the Pacific Coast; to publish information concerning them; and to enlist the support and cooperation of the people and government in preserving the forests and other natural features of the Sierra Nevada. A Southern California chapter was formed in 1911, but it was not until 1950 that the first chapter outside the state was incorporated. The greatest increase in membership came in the 1980s, and currently (2004) there are over 700,000 members. The Club now has chapters in all U.S. states and in Canada, and it maintains a national legislative office in Washington, D.C. The organization produces Sierra magazine and Sierra Club Books, and it sponsors national and international outings.

Administrative History

The Sierra Club was founded on May 28, 1892, in the San Francisco office of attorney Warren Olney. In addition to naturalist and author John Muir, the 182 charter members included artists, scientists, university professors, explorers, and cartographers. Their intent, as expressed in the articles of incorporation, was three-fold: "to explore, enjoy, and render accessible the mountain regions of the Pacific Coast; to publish authentic information concerning them. . .[and] to enlist the support and cooperation of the people and government in preserving the forests and other natural features of the Sierra Nevada."

The club grew slowly and steadily, with many new members recruited on local walks and the month-long High Trip, led for many years by attorney William E. Colby. A Southern California chapter was formed in 1911, but it was not until 1950 that the first chapter outside of the state was incorporated. The greatest increase in membership has come in the last decade, in response to federal government policies that club members have considered anti-environmental.

One hundred years after its birth, the Sierra Club is an organization of more than 600,000 members, run by a volunteer board of directors, with chapters in every state and in Canada. The club still maintains its headquarters in San Francisco, but it has regionally-based conservation staff working to influence federal legislation, and a national legislative office in Washington, D.C. There are a number of state legislative offices as well. The club is well known for producing Sierra magazine and for its publications program, Sierra Club Books. Hundreds of national and international outings, led by volunteers, take place each year.

There are a number of published works on Sierra Club history, which may be of use to the researcher.

Carr, Patrick, ed., The Sierra Club, A Guide (Sierra Club: San Francisco, 1989).

Cohen, Michael P., The History of the Sierra Club, 1892-1970 (Sierra Club Books: San Francisco, 1988).

Kimball, H. Stewart, History of the Sierra Club Outing Committee, 1901-1972 (Sierra Club Outing Committee, 1990).

Turner, Tom, Sierra Club: 100 Years of Protecting Nature (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., in association with the Sierra Club: New York, 1991).