Comparison · 9 material differences
The Chicago Club vs Harvard Club of New York City
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026 Private club
ajay_suresh · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0The Chicago Club
Not publicly disclosed. The club's membership page consists of one sentence stating that membership is by invitation only, plus a contact for the Director of Membership.
Private club
Harvard Club of New York City
Harvard University and Radcliffe College degree recipients, current and former faculty, fellows, officers and University appointment holders of at least one full academic year…
What the records say
- Geographic restriction: The Chicago Club: No published geographic restriction; Harvard Club of New York City: Dues category is set by home and professional address: Resident/Professional (the five boroughs), Tri-State, Non-Resident East, and Non-Resident West and International.
- Annual dues: The Chicago Club: Not publicly disclosed. The only figure on record is historic: Wikipedia states that membership cost $100 when the club was founded in 1869; Harvard Club of New York City: $573–2,864 a year.
Side by side
| The Chicago Club | Harvard Club of New York City | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 1869 (Wikipedia dates the founding to January 1869 by former members of the Dearborn Club, with Philip Wadsworth as first president and a first meeting on 1 May 1869; the club's own public site carries no history page.) | 1865 (Founded in 1865 by a small group of alumni; the first meeting was held at the Mercantile Library Building on Astor Place and four members attended. A constitution was adopted in 1878 and the club was incorporated in New York State in 1887.) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | New York, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Single clubhouse at 81 East Van Buren Street at Michigan Avenue, in the Loop | Single clubhouse on West 44th Street, Manhattan, with entrances at 27 and 35 West 44th Street; members are drawn worldwide and dues categories reflect distance from the club |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed by the club. Wikipedia gives approximately 1,200 members; that has not been independently verified and carries no current date. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | Single clubhouse; no chapters | Single clubhouse; no chapters |
| Primary audience | Not publicly disclosed. The club's membership page consists of one sentence stating that membership is by invitation only, plus a contact for the Director of Membership. | Harvard University and Radcliffe College degree recipients, current and former faculty, fellows, officers and University appointment holders of at least one full academic year, current and former University-wide board and committee members, and former full-time students in good standing in a Harvard degree programme for at least one full academic year. |
| Typical member | Not publicly disclosed. Wikipedia records that charter members included Anson Stager, Robert Todd Lincoln, Potter Palmer, Marshall Field and George Pullman, but the club publishes nothing about its present membership. | Members are Harvard-affiliated by degree, faculty appointment or University service, plus spouses and life partners admitted in reduced-rate categories. Dues bands are set by years since undergraduate degree and by whether the member lives or works in New York City, the tri-state area, the eastern states, or further afield. |
| Qualification | ||
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | Dues category is set by home and professional address: Resident/Professional (the five boroughs), Tri-State, Non-Resident East, and Non-Resident West and InternationalWhichever address is closest to the club determines the categoryverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | Yes | No |
| Sponsor required | Not documented | No |
| Application process | There is no public application route. The club states that membership is by invitation only and directs enquiries about membership requirements to its Director of Membership by email. | Applicants apply online in the category matching their Harvard affiliation. The club verifies the affiliation and contacts the applicant with membership information in about three weeks. There is no published requirement for proposers or seconders. A separate route exists for the graduating class of the year and for Harvard summer students. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed. Admission turns on verifying a qualifying Harvard affiliation rather than on a published selection or ballot. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. The only figure on record is historic: Wikipedia states that membership cost $100 when the club was founded in 1869verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $573–2,864 a yearResident/Professional category (residence, business or employment in the five boroughs of New York City), banded by years since undergraduate degree: under 4 years $573; 4 to under 6 $859; 6 to under 8 $1,289; 8 to under 10 $1,910; 10 or more $2,864. Excludes taxes.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 · source ↗ | $250–2,864 one-timeEntrance fee applies to all membership categories and equals 100% of a full year of dues, subject to a $250 minimum. Payable in full or in three instalments over two years, the first due on membership activation. No entrance fee applies to Signing Privilege Membership or to widows'/widowers' privileges.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Not documented | Annual, on a fiscal year ending 30 June; dues payable quarterly, half-yearly or annually |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | No published programme; the clubhouse operates for dining, meetings, events and accommodation | Clubhouse open daily, closing to members at 11pm; talks, performances, art classes, wine tastings and other member programming through the year |
| Peer forums | Not documented | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | Cell phone use for voice communication is limited to phone booths, private meeting rooms and guest rooms; discreet non-verbal use such as texting and web browsing is permitted throughout the club. | The club maintains House Rules governing technology use in the clubhouse; specific terms are not published in full |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | No | No |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Not documented | Yes |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Partial | Yes |
| Family programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Yes |
| Next-generation programming | Not documented | Partial |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | High |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Chicago Club · Harvard Club of New York City