The Biological Club at the University of Minnesota was established within the College of Agriculture as a faculty club. The first meeting was held on September 26, 1913, with a mission "to promote biological knowledge and good fellowship among its members." E. C. Stakman was elected president and W. P. Valleau was elected secretary/treasurer.
Early in the club's history, meetings were held in member's homes. Later on they were held on the St. Paul Campus. The club met bi-monthly during the school year. A program was presented at each meeting by one of the members, which consisted of a talk. Cigars, which were sent to the club president by various individuals as gifts, seemed to also be an important component of the meetings.
Membership originally consisted of 12 white males who met with the approval of the club. These were faculty from the St. Paul Campus, originally known as University Farm. Membership continued to grow and in 1970 it consisted of 36 active and 10 alumni members. The nickname of the club was the "Bug Club" and its mascot was the sacred bull.
From the guide to the Biological Club papers, 1914-1970, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])
