The College Club of Boston was founded in 1890 when nineteen women met in Boston’s Back Bay to establish their own club. At that time, there was little or no opportunity for educated or professional women to enjoy the collegiality their male counterparts found at their clubs around the city. The spirit of the club they envisioned — one where women could share conversation, ideas and friendships — still exists today at The College Club of Boston.
Our members range in age. They include lawyers, doctors, educators, realtors, scientists, and entrepreneurs. All of our members share a love of stimulating conversation, our historic Back Bay mansion, and the sense of camaraderie our club offers.
Why Join
The College Club?
With afternoon teas, author lectures, book clubs and “pop up” events, our members socialize and learn together. We can also entertain in our Victorian brownstone, network for business and meet new friends.
We also offer the following privileges to our members:
- Reciprocity with other clubs in our network around the world.
- Opportunity to rent meeting rooms for functions at a special member’s rate.
- Discounted members’ rates on our overnight guest rooms.
- Access to the Club chef for luncheons and dinners.
- Member-only events: members have access to exclusive club events.
A SAMPLING OF MEMBER EVENTS INCLUDE:
- Signature events such as our annual Holiday Gala
- Our popular First Friday cocktail receptions
- Wine tastings with local wine experts
- Talks and readings by noteworthy local authors
- Afternoon and evening book clubs
- Mahjongg groups and lessons
- Pop-up events in the Greater Boston area
- Needlework with The College Club Footstool Society
Philanthropy
Founded in 1986, The College Club Scholarship Fund is a 501(C)(3) that awards grants to deserving Boston public school seniors. Many College Club members donate generously to the Fund, and enjoy meeting the scholarship students at an annual reception in the Spring.
Our History
Founded in 1890, The College Club of Boston is the first women’s college club in the United States. From its earliest days, the College Club hosted many events, including some with celebrities from literature and the arts. Mark Twain was a guest; so were actress Julia Marlowe, feminist Lucy Stone, poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, and more recently Cokie Roberts and Stephen Puleo, author of “Dark Tide”.
In 1905, The College Club of Boston had an Old English drawing room and seven “sleeping rooms” – the delicate term of the time for “bedrooms.” These rooms were furnished and decorated in the colors of various women’s colleges: crimson rambler wallpaper for Radcliffe, blue silk curtains for Wellesley, a cherry and white scheme for Boston University, white with brass beds for Smith, dawn pink and gray for Vassar. More than a century later, The College Club of Boston remains a diverse and dynamic membership organization that more than fulfills the mission of its founders.
Our Brownstone
The College Club of Boston is on the first block of Commonwealth Avenue, which was developed between 1860 and 1872. The College Club was built as a High Victorian townhouse for the Robbins family. Royal E. Robbins was a major stockholder of the Waltham Watch Company in Waltham, MA. The mansion was purchased by The College Club of Boston in 1924.
The exterior of our building, as with many of the houses on our block, has a classic French look with a slate mansard roof. The interior style of our building is High Victorian. Although the ceilings and moldings in the middle room and the round columns in the bay of the ballroom floor may have been altered around the turn of the century, the front rooms appear to be original and would have been stained a rich, dark color, similar to the library on the first floor. The frieze around the back on this floor is consistent with those of the period when the home was built.
Thinking about joining?
Have further questions? Interested in a tour? Submit your information here and someone from our Membership Committee will respond to you as soon as possible.