12/03/2020
In 1923 Long Beach leaders set about creating a social-athletic club. The cornerstone was laid during a grand ceremony on Saturday 4 September 1926. The items placed beneath it in a copper box were a "photograph showing the skyline of Long Beach, the constitution and by-laws of the club, the club roster, a souvenir program of the ceremony, a silver dollar of the coinage of 1926 encased in a metal container, a collection of clipping of "Hi-tided" giving the lights of the club and building, program the first issue of "Hi-Tide" and the August 1926 issue, special edition of the Long Beach Press-Telegram and the Long Beach Sun of September 4, 1926 and photographs of the progress of the building from the turning of the first spadeful of earth on June 8, 1925 to the present time" and a telegram of congratulations signed by W.S. Whitmer, President of the University Club of Los Angeles. The following two pages are from the beautiful hardbound embossed 1927 commemorative book which contained 284 pages. They are an illustration of the club and a photograph/text about the library lounge. My parents, who came from very modest means, met when my dad was a guest of a club member and my mother was performing water ballet there. My mother also performed at the Mission Inn in Riverside.
