Established in 1894 as a political group Jonathan Club segued into a purely social club shortly after. The Club originally afforded an outlet through which members hosted political candidates, participated in political rallies and gathered for social activities. In 1895, Jonathan Club members determined that the social bond, and not the political one, was what interconnected its members. Jonathan Club was chartered as a “purely social club” by the State of California on September 23, 1895.
Many notable Club members (also known as Jonathans) have shaped the destiny of Southern California. Their leadership and innovations reverberate to today. Henry Edward Huntington, a notable Jonathan whose imprint on commutes and socio-economic plans dating back to the early 1900s continues to influence all of us to this day. Jonathans Edward Dickson and Ernest Moore conceived the idea of UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) over lunch in the fall of 1917. Never underestimate the power of lunch at the Club!
As Jonathan Club has evolved the defining values, standards of excellence and spirit of camaraderie that originally distinguished the Club have withstood the test of time.