Engineers Club of Dayton
Encyclopedia
The Engineers Club of Dayton was founded by Colonel Edward A. Deeds
Edward A. Deeds
Edward Andrew Deeds was an American engineer, inventor and industrialist prominent in the Dayton, Ohio area.-Biography:...

 and Charles F. Kettering in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

 in 1914. The club's building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 and the history of the club involves notable Daytonians and historical figures such as Orville Wright.

Establishment

Members cited the status of Dayton as one of the leading industrial cities in the country in support of their formation of the club. The charter members of The Engineers Club were Colonel Edward A. Deeds, Charles F. Kettering, F.M. Tait, H.B. Canby, Arthur E. Morgan, H.M. Williams, H.J. Williams, H.G. Dorsey, H.G. Kittredge, D.A. Kohr, Harry I. Schenck, J.H. Hunt, O.H. Hutchings, Oscar, Kressler, and F.O. Clements. On April 15, 1914, the charter members signed the articles of incorporation of The Engineers Club of Dayton. Colonel Deeds was elected the Club's first president (1914–1915).

Through a connection of Kettering, the club was originally permitted to meet at a property owned by Delco Electronics
Delco Electronics
Delco Electronics Corporation was the automotive electronics design and manufacturing subsidiary of General Motors based in Kokomo, Indiana.The name Delco came from the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co., founded in Dayton, Ohio by Charles Kettering and Edward A...

 located on the corner of Second and Madison streets in Dayton. As membership grew, the need for a new, permanent location became evident and a building committee, funded by Deeds and Kettering, planned the construction of the present location of the club on Monument Avenue.

On February 2, 1918, the club's new home, designed by the Dayton firm of Schenck & Williams
Schenck & Williams
Schenck and Williams was an architectural firm in Dayton, Ohio. The firm's projects included the Hawthorn Hill home for Orville Wright and his sister and father, the Dayton Young Men's Christian Association Building, and the Engineers Club of Dayton building. The firm's partners were Harry J...

, was dedicated in front of more than 300 members and guests. Commemorating the occasion, Orville Wright gave a rare public speech. He emphasized the responsibility of the membership, both present and future. Among the distinguished guests present at the event were Governor James M. Cox
James M. Cox
James Middleton Cox was the 46th and 48th Governor of Ohio, U.S. Representative from Ohio and Democratic candidate for President of the United States in the election of 1920....

, Major J.G. Vincent and William B. Mayo
William B. Mayo
William Benson Mayo was chief power engineer for the Ford Motor Company.-Biography:Mayo was born in Chatham, Massachusetts on 7 January 1866 to Andrew Benson and Amanda Nickerson Mayo. He worked initially as a sign painter in Boston, but accepted a position as an office boy for a manufacturer of...

.

On October 17, 2007 The Engineers Club of Dayton was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Membership and Organizational Information

According to the articles of incorporation, the mission of the Engineers Club is to "foster the advancement of business, education, engineering and science, and to promote the professional development of its members."

The Engineers Club is a private, non-profit professional-association, overseen by a Board of Governors and operated by a Club Manager and staff. The Engineers Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to support education in engineering and business professions and the restoration and preservation of the historic Engineers Club of Dayton building. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.

The Engineers Club of Dayton is open to new members and offers "individual memberships, including special memberships for students and non-residents (outside the Miami Valley), as well as corporate and group memberships."

Current operations

The membership of The Engineers Club is currently primarily made up of professionals and academics throughout the Dayton area. The club holds lectures and other similar professional events throughout the year. In addition to such academic activities, the club frequently hosts social events for its members.

Financing for The club's operations comes through its endowed foundation, The Engineers Club Foundation, membership fees and food sales from the dining room, located within the Engineers Club building. Members are currently required to spend a certain amount on dining and social activities offered by the club within any given calendar year.

In addition to the sources of income already discussed, the Engineers Club earns operating revenue through renting various space within the club's historic facility for banquet services. From the club's website, the types of events for which the club is well suited include wedding receptions, showers, anniversaries, birthdays, tea parties, reunions, seminars, conferences, business meetings, awards dinners, presentations and other gatherings for 15-350 guests.

The Engineers Club has recently been the full time meeting location of two local religious congregations. Formerly the Agape Global Heart Community, an interdenominational fellowship, met Sunday mornings at The Engineers Club. Presently Spirit Life Church, a local, non-denominational church holds services in the theater room of the Engineers Club on Sunday mornings.

Further reading


1918 building, a gathering spot for local inventors, is nominated for National Register of Historic Places
August 27, 2007 Dayton Daily News

External links

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