Founded in 1883, thirty-six years after the arrival of Latter-day Saint pioneers and thirteen years before Utah was admitted to the Union, the Alta Club holds a unique place not only in the immediate community bit in the entire Intermountain West.
Organized as a social club, "to present the comforts and luxuries of a home together with the attraction to its members of meeting each other in a pleasant and social way," the Alta Club from its beginning attracted the financial, industrial and social leaders of the west. Since these members have been intimately involved with the subsequent growth of the area, the club itself has closely reflected changes in taste, economics, and habits of the area's people.
The genesis of the club was the mining industry which created an affluent non-Mormon society in territorial Utah. The leaders in that establishment and continuing development of the industry were the founders and early members of the club. The religious majority (LDS Church) were excluded from membership initially because of the Latter-day Saint/non-Latter-day Saint conflict which kept the territory divided into two worlds for half a century. Many members of the Alta Club played important roles in diminishing the bitterness of the conflict to a point which permitted the territory to become a state and to function politically under the national system. Intentionally or unintentionally the club served as one of the instruments of accommodation by gradually admitting to membership Latter-day Saint business leaders and thereby encouraging social interaction between the two worlds.
Along with many other industries and institutions the mining industry, long a major contributor to the affluence of the Alta Club, was hard hit by the depression of the 1930s. Consequently, the club suffered. During that time, however, new ways of club financing, including the installation of slot machines and the employment of Waldo L. (Wally) Stewart as club manager rescued the club and put it on sound footing.
Among the Alta Club's characteristics which have remained constant throughout its life is its policy of strict confinement to sociability. There have been no efforts to involve the organization in religious, political or social issues. The club celebrated its centennial in March of 1983, still the unchallenged bastion of men who have proven themselves successful in business, industry and the professions.
Note: Material for this organizational history was taken from
The Alta Club records (1883-1996), are divided into four categories: historical, financial, membership, and miscellaneous.
The historical section includes annual reports, 1886 and 1951-1982; minutes, 1910-1976; newsletters, 1977-1984; and a typescript and published copy of
The financial materials are audit reports, 1927-1980 and receipts and disbursements, 1936-1964. These are useful for showing the sound financial management of the club particularly after Waldo Stewart became manager in 1936.
The membership section has a membership card file, 1883-1970s listing the member's date of election to membership, date of resignation or death, death notices, and listings of club presidents and their years of service in that capacity. Also included in this section are obituaries, 1886-1929. These obituaries are generally titled, "in memoriam," and included brief biographical sketches. Two membership directories from 1899 and 1918 are also contained in this section of the collection.
The miscellaneous section includes items dealing with the club's centennial celebration held in March of 1983; programs from testimonial dinners held for two members, circa 1930 and menu tickets for parties given by members in the 1970s.
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Boxes 1-13, were donated in 1984 (7 linear feet).
Box 14, was donated in 1989 (0.5 linear feet).
Box 15 was donated in 2006 (0.5 linear feet).
Photographs (P0254) and audio-visual materials (A0321) transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.
Processed by Nancy V. Young in 1984.
Addendum processed by Samuel J. Passey in 2006.
Box 1 contains the typescript of
Published copy of the book by O. N. Malmquist.
There are four pages in the report which appears to have the first one issued. There is a brief report from the Board of Directors, a list of members, property and assets report, and the secretary's report.
The Alta Club Newsletter is published monthly. Each issue features a monthly calendar of club happenings, special events, and pictures of new members, usually information from reciprocal clubs, and (on occasion) profiles on staff and club members.
Waldo L. (Wally) Stewart, club manager from 1936-1972 recalls incidents in the club's history in an article entitled, "'The Good Old days' (or, Were They?). See September 1977 issue.
Arnold Larson is profiled in April 1980.
The May 1981 issue features a 1960 letter that argued against replacing the original bar with one featuring chrome furniture and neon lights.
Because this was the centennial anniversary for the club, there were several features of historical interest. The March issue describes the actual series of dinners and programs commemorating the club's founding. From April-December the following members were profiled: Clarence Bamberger (April), John M. Wallace (May), W. Prescott Dunn (June), Richard N. Hunt (August), Newell B. Dayton (September), Thomas Thompson Taylor (October), Frank B. Streator (November), and in December, the "Boy Scouts," Pete Ashton, Henry Dinwoodey, Paul Schettler and James E. "Cream" Steele.
Approximately 1600 cards in alphabetical order beginning with charter members in 1883 and ending with those elected in the early 1970s.
500 cards in reverse chronological order with the most recent being placed first. Also included in this box are membership directories and obituaries
The Centennial Committee Members were Paul Schettler, Jack Gallivan, Allan Hunter, Dick Harris, Committee Chairman Lloyd Snedaker, and Club Manager Bob Kendall. The minutes also mention gentlemen with the surnames of Kimball, Thomas, Goodman and Van Woerdon as attending committee meetings (no first names for these men are given).