By Jim Baer
Alright, who's the most famous figure to walk through the doors of the historic downtown Noonday Club?
For starters, let's try Prince Charles of
Great Britain.
His majesty was here on official business in 1977, meeting with senior leaders at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft. Members of Civic Progress arranged for a private lunch at the Club to coincide with the visit.
St. Louis, with its vibrant and historic traditions has always had the presence of elegant business, dining and athletic clubs. Private club memberships range from the posh Bogie Club in Ladue, the Saint Louis Club in Clayton, to downtown's historic Missouri Athletic Club, and the Noonday Club.
Since 1893, the Noonday Club has provided its most prominent business leaders with a gathering place to enjoy dining while discussing the hot business topics of the day. Today, the Noonday Club occupies space on the 40th floor of the Metropolitan Square Building, with its commanding views of
St. Louis to the west and the Gateway Arch to the east. The Club has breathtaking views of the region, according to Marketing Director Cynthia Tangaro. "Somedays, we are above the clouds. If you need a weather forecast, just call me," she says in jest.
In the fall of 1892, Saint Louis Club members with downtown business offices met to discuss the proposition of a private luncheon club where they could meet for meals and discuss business conversation with their peers. A search committee, headed by drug wholesaler J. Clifford Richardson, future St. Louis Mayor Rolla Wells, and a host of others settled for space in the top two floors of the Security Building located in the heart of downtown's financial district. Board members authorized to spend $12,000 (about $286,600 today*) to renovate the space, and the location featured a dining room, a library for reading and a billiard room for relaxation.
In 1964, the Club moved to its second location, the top two floors of the Executive Office Building, where it prospered for
25 years.
The move to the Met Square Building on Broadway came in December of 1989 with the opening of St. Louis' tallest building.
A tradition of outstanding cuisine has been the hallmark of the Club for over 100 years. The Club maintains a distinguished roster of membership that boasts U.S. Senators, members of the Presidential Cabinet, bankers, attorneys, railroad executives, entrepreneurs, and the like.
Winthrop "Win" B. Reed III, president of the club's Board of Governors and a member of the law firm Lewis Rice & Fingerish is
bullish on the future. "We (the law firm) get great value out of our membership. All of our employees, 152 of them have membership
in the club. We offer a full slate of social activities," rattling off year-round events, such as dining before a night at the Fox Theatre; outings to Cardinal or Blues games, Mother's Day feasts; wine tastings and other social events. "Besides that, we have a great junior group who are working hard to attract new members. They are having after-hours cocktail parties as part of their recruitment efforts," he says. Reed sees significant value to membership. "Lots of businesses have moved to the west, and this is the premier luncheon club downtown. We have a wonderful staff; we recently honored a number of employees who've been with us more than 25 years. We are just an island of first-class service downtown—a great place to have a business meeting with a client, or just dine with a good friend," says Reed.
Because of a reciprocal agreement, members enjoy access to more than 50 clubs across the U.S. and overseas. Members can play tennis at the legendary Beverly Hills Country Club; enjoy repast at the Stock Exchange Club in New York City or stay overnight at the Royal Over Seas League in Edinburg, Scotland.
A century later, the Noonday Club remains a place for executives and professionals to gather for business and socializing. St. Louis' most prominent business professionals
continue to dominate its membership roster. Life-long members have standing tables and enjoy great conviviality. The present roster includes 882 members, and the emphasis on growing its numbers is through special corporate discounts. It looks like the Noonday Club will be around for at least another
hundred years. For more information about the Club, contact Cindy Tangaro at (314) 231-8452 ext. 25 or cindyt@noonday.org.
* Based on a national annual average inflation rate of 3.41%. The source is the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Consumer Price Index (Estimate) 1800 Ð 2008, http://minneapolisfed.org/Research/data/us/calc/hist1800.cfm
Corporate Membership, Noonday Club
The Noonday Club recently announced a brand new membership option for St. Louis area corporations. A membership provides access to the club for larger companies at an attractive price. Individual memberships are exempt from paying monthly dues in exchange for a single annual fee paid by the company. Corporate Membership includes ten full-privilege Platinum Memberships plus Gold Membership with dining privileges for as many members required by a corporation.
Annual membership fees are $25,000 per firm. There are no
initiation fees for Corporate Memberships. Within the Corporate Membership, the Platinum Membership includes corporate discount rates at the Hyatt Riverfront Hotel (formerly the Adams' Mark Hotel); a 40 percent discount on custom paintings by artist Elizabeth LaChance; discounted membership at the two St. Louis area Wellbridge sports fitness locations (Clayton and Chesterfield) and discounted corporate fees for the downtown St. Louis YMCA.
|
