Andiron Club of New York City

The Andiron Club was established as a literary society at New York University in 1907. The club sponsored literary lectures and published several internal newsletters and a scholarly journal, "The Colonnade".

From the description of Records, 1907-1982. 1930-1955 (bulk). (New York University). WorldCat record id: 477227707

On December 20th, l907, a group of college instructors and undergraduates met before an open fire and planned two institutions: the Andiron Club and the Colonnade. They came together with the purpose of proliferating the old European philosophical assemblies where learning and erudition mixed with good fellowship. Such a club was in keeping with all the values associated with the belle époque of the l9th century. It seems as if the club operated with one mind, one final cause as it were, but in reality there were several dedicated young men who constituted the core of the group for several years. Among these individuals were M. G. Bishop, John W. Draper, George B. Hotchkiss, Arthur H. Nason, S. M. Tucker, and Henry Melville Love. These men exemplified the role of scholar and friend through the early days of the club, establishing an Andiron tradition, which has kept this club alive up to the present day (1988). In the early days, club rules and goals were well defined. A l9l4 statement of policy (see Club Manual) affirmed the tradition of "Romantic Idealism over Naturalism and Realism," and proceeded to publish accordingly, in The Colonnade (l907 to l922), pieces most appropriate to their doctrine.

In the days before the war and before faculty constituted the majority of members, the club flaunted a youthful fraternity-like atmosphere. Some of there rules of the Club were as follows:

No.3: That the Andiron Club strive to keep its roll of members free from the name of any man not literary in his sympathies and an enthusiastic supporter of literary work.

No.11: Have no relations save the most casual and informal kind with the downtown schools.

No.l2: Let the fraudulent contributor be ostracized.

No.l5: Maintain an enticing secrecy about the affairs of the Andiron Club.

No.l7: Have nothing to do with the Eucleian. (The Eucleian Society was a rival student literary society established in the early nineteenth century at New York University).

The early history of the Andiron Club falls roughly into four distinct periods: (1) the years between its birth in l907 to the beginning of the Draper administration, l9l3-17; (2) l925-26, with the interregnum, during World War I, of Carey C.D. Briggs; (3) the dictatorship of Royal J. Davis, from l926 to l934; and (4) Frederick S. Boas, Professor of English at Columbia University, who became the dictator following the death of Davis.

The Bronx University Heights campus was all-male and as a consequence, Andiron was not open to women until l968. Original members frequently donned tuxedos and puffed on cigars during meetings, but institutional chauvinism gradually died. In the l950s Andiron rapidly lost its members and membership was principally elderly alumni, and although excellent speakers occasionally appeared, the club was on the verge of collapse. Then, Coleman Parsons, a professor of English with no affiliation with NYU, was named dictator. He enthusiastically extended membership so that it included any studious man or woman, regardless of professional status or educational background. He used his academic connections to insure programs of consequence and once again literary scholars of note tried out their theories on an active body of perceptive generalists.

Dr. Parsons' four years as dictator (now called "president") was followed by a succession of distinguished men and the club's first woman president: Edmond Volpe, now President of the College of Staten Island; Arthur Waldhorn, first and third Director of the Davis Center of the Performing Arts; James Tuttleton, Chairman of English at New York University; Frederick Goldin; John Maynard, current Chairman of English at New York University; and Michael Joan Peyser, current President of the Andiron Club of New York City.

These dictators who succeeded Coleman Parsons, although they continued to emphasize the literary and scholarly traditions of Andiron, extended its scope. In addition to literary scholars and biographer-scholars, such as Martin Duberman, Leon Edel, Robert Gutman, Edgar Johnson, Aileen Ward, we heard working critics such as Leslie Fiedler, Helen Vendler, Denis Donoghue, Pauline Kael, John Simon, and Diana Trilling; and novelists such as Joseph Heller, Anthony Burgess, Malcom Bosse, E. L. Doctorow, and Toni Morrison; art historians, Sir John Pope-Hennessy and Robert Rosenblum; poets, John Hollander and Galway Kinnell; musicians and musicologists who included Charles Rosen, Sir Rudolf Bing, Steven Sondheim, Judith Raskin and Alan Rich; cultural historians including Paul Fussell and Joseph Murphy, the recently appointed Chancellor of the University.

For a list of Andiron Club members see Appendix 1 (1908-1934, 1975)

Appendix 1

For a partial list of topics discussed at Andiron Club meetings see Appendix 2

Appendix 2

From the guide to the Records of the Andiron Club of New York City, Bulk, 1930-1955, 1907-1982, (Bulk 1930-1955), (New York University Archives)