The origins of Chicago's Twentieth Century Club lay in the belief that the creation of a cultural and literary club composed of members from the city's best families could help Chicago overcome its reputation for coarseness. Spearheaded by Mrs. George R. Genevieve Jones Grant of Prairie Avenue and several of her friends, the club was organized to replicate similar organizations in New York and elsewhere. Potential members were nominated and vetted before they were offered membership. The club suffered from open tensions over control the club and the nature of its cultural and social activities. This page from Jones's father Fernando's scrapbook provides a sense of the club's mission, the social struggles of the rapidly growing city, and the elite's consciousness about the city's reputation compared to that of its chief rival, New York.

Creators: Various
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-38233)