History

February 13, 1888 – About fifteen civil engineers identified with local manufactories, the different railroads centering here, City Engineer Marble and County Surveyor Kinnear met Saturday night in the office of the latter gentleman to organize themselves into an association, the better to exchange views pertinent to their profession and the advancement of the science of civil engineering.

February 20, 1888 – At a meeting of the civil engineers of the city at the Court House Saturday evening, it was decided to organize an association independent of the state organization and to be known as the Engineers Club of Columbus. Messrs. B.F. Bowen, F.B. Sheldon and W.H. Jennings were appointed a committee to prepare a constitution and by-laws and make nominations for officers. Mr. Bowen gave a discussion on pile-drivers and was followed by Professor Brown and others.

February 17, 1895 – Over fifty of the representative men of the city who are interested in engineering assembled at the Board of Trade rooms last evening and formed a permanent organization which is to be known as the Engineers Club. A constitution and by-laws were adopted and the club is no longer embryonic.

February 23, 1895 – The organization of the Scientific Engineers Club of Columbus was completed last night by the election of directors. Messrs. Irwin Butterworth and C. Newton Brown were elected for two years and Julian Griggs and G.W. Shaw for one year. Mr. Loring H. Goddard was elected librarian. The directors, together with other officers, form a board of control. The next meeting of the club will be March 2 in the Board of Trade rooms, when it is hoped the committee on quarters will have decided upon the home for the club.

March 2, 1895 – The first regular meeting of the Engineers Club was held in the Board of Trade rooms last night and there was a very fair attendance. A fine lecture on “Periodic Variation of Candle Power of Alternating Arc Lamps” was delivered by Professor B.F. Thomas of Ohio State University and general regret was expressed that the lecture had not been written so it could be filed. The lecture was enthusiastically received by the members and thoroughly enjoyed by all who heard it.

May 5, 1938 – All through the years of the Club’s existence the minutes of meetings tell the story of the members’ technical interest and their pleasant associations with each other. Social events, for instance, are accorded space as important activities of the Club; we read that at the eleventh annual Christmas Party, December 16, 1937, the attendance was 391 and “T.J. Schoenlaub still functions as Santa Claus.”