College Club membership is open to all

Courtesy of the College Club

The College Club of Cleveland is situated in a gracious historic home located at the top of Murray Hill, on Overlook Road in Cleveland Heights. The home was built in 1905 for the W.D.B. Alexander family. The architects were Abram Garfield, son of President James Garfield, and Franklin Mead. The Alexanders sold the house in 1916 to D. Edward and Effie Dangler. The house was occupied until 1948, when Effie Dangler died. It lay vacant and fell into disrepair. It was around that time that the needs of the College Club and the home converged.

The College Club of Cleveland was formed in the late 19th century by a group of college-educated women. While the main focus was on the socialization of this special group of women, they also established a fund to provide scholarships for deserving young women to attend college. Over time, as membership increased, the club needed to move to larger quarters. In 1951, members purchased the Dangler home and refurbished it, keeping the warm wood paneling in both main rooms on the first floor and the fireplaces--throughout the house. The rooms on the second floor were turned into comfortable sitting rooms suitable for small meetings or social gatherings.

People are sometimes surprised to learn that the College Club of Cleveland is not part of Case Western Reserve University or any other institution. It is a completely independent entity. Membership is open to both women and men, and members enjoy a host of diverse activities, from book groups to bridge to exercise classes. Meetings are held each Monday and consist of lunch (dinner once a month) and a program of interest on many topics. Benevolent activities include giving college scholarships each year, and supporting of the Women’s Re-entry Network program.

The club house is available for rentals, accommodating from 8 to 150 people. The house lends itself to events, such as bridal rehearsal dinners, weddings, and bar/bat mitzvahs. It is a popular venue for holding holiday events and special parties. Smaller meetings, seminars, recitals, and showers are just as much at home as the larger events.

Fees charged are reasonable and reflect the amount of space needed, length of time, time of day, and size and type of event. There is free parking at the door for 85 cars. The facility is handicapped-accessible.

One advantage to renting the College Club is that only one event taking place in the house at a time; thus, there is no competition for space.

Visitors and potential renters are welcome to tour the facility. To schedule a tour or to obtain membership information, call 216-231-1683 or e-mail clubmanager@thecollegeclub.org.