Twentieth Century Club

The Twentieth Century Club was a social organization created in 1909 to facilitate better relationships between residents of Bellingham, Washington and faculty at Western Washington Normal School (now Western Washington University). This “town and gown” club met every September through May from 1909 to 1977 to discuss music, history, art, and politics. Membership was by invitation and, at its peak, the group had space for over one hundred members. The club first met at the Baker Hotel and various other locales throughout Bellingham until it settled permanently at the Leopold Hotel in 1941.

The group invited various speakers from Bellingham and the Seattle area to discuss local and international issues. One popular topic discussed during the 1950s and 1960s was that of the Cold War and its impact on the United States and world affairs. During the 1970s, membership among faculty started to decline, and club members began to discuss whether a reorganization of the group might be in order. The club disbanded in 1977, declaring its original objectives met.