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Manhattan Athletic Club

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Manhattan Athletic Club
FormationNovember 7, 1877; 146 years ago (1877-11-07)
TypeAthletic club
HeadquartersManhattan, New York City, U.S.
Key people
Lon Myers, member and world-record-holding runner

The Manhattan Athletic Club was an athletic club in Manhattan, New York City.[1][2] The club was founded on November 7, 1877, and legally incorporated on April 1, 1878.[1][2][3] Its emblem was a "cherry diamond".[4]

It established an athletic cinder ash track at Eighth Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, which opened in 1878.[1][3] In 1883, it secured grounds at the block between Eighth Avenue and Ninth Avenue, between West 86th and 87th Streets on the Upper West Side.[5] In November 1886, it secured a clubhouse at 594 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.[6] The club established a new clubhouse at the southeast corner of Madison Avenue and East 45th Street in Midtown in 1890, with one of the largest gymnasiums in the world, at 100 by 110 feet (30 by 34 m).[6][7] Through 1917, boxing matches were hosted at the club.[8][9][10]

American runner and world record holder Lon Myers was a notable member of the club.[1] Other notable members included speed skater Joe Donoghue, runner Thomas Conneff,[11][12] and Elliott Fitch Shepard.[13]

In the late 1800s, the Manhattan Athletic Club assisted in creating the Amateur Association. Past members, George W Carr and Walter Storm were elected presidents (1879 and 1887) of the National Association of Amateur Athletes of America (NAAA) (1879 to 1888). Later, the Amateur Athletic Union was formed in 1888.

In 1893, with significant debts, its directors decided to dissolve the club.[14] Andrew Freedman became receiver of the Manhattan Athletic Club when it fell into receivership.[15][16] A new Manhattan Athletic Club was opened the following year.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d The Illustrated American. 1891. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  2. ^ a b A history of American amateur athletics and aquatics: with the records. 1888. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  3. ^ a b The Sun's guide to New York: Replies to questions asked every day by the guests and citizens of the American metropolis. 1892. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  4. ^ "INSIGNIA OF THE CLUBS; EMBLEMS THAT ATHLETES HAVE BEEN PROUD TO WEAR. THE VARIOUS DEVICES WERE MOSTLY CHOSEN TO REPRESENT STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, OR FLEETNESS, BUT A FEW BECAUSE OF NEAT EFFECT -- SOME UNIQUE DESIGNS". The New York Times. February 26, 1893. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  5. ^ "Daily True American - Google News Archive Search". Daily True American. May 9, 1889. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Daily True American - Google News Archive Search".
  7. ^ "MANHATTAN ATHLETIC CLUB". The New York Times. November 29, 1890. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  8. ^ "The Day - Google News Archive Search". The Day. January 9, 1889. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  9. ^ "The Day - Google News Archive Search". The Day. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  10. ^ "DILLON OUTPOINTS FLYNN. - Has Better of Hotly Contested Bout at Manhattan A.C." Select.nytimes.com. March 11, 1916. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  11. ^ "The Day - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  12. ^ "Forecast for Baltimore and Vicinity". The Baltimore Sun. December 8, 1891. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ Homans, James E., ed. (1918). The Cyclopedia of American Biography. The Press Association Compilers. pp. 299–300.
  14. ^ [ Displaying Abstract ] (January 29, 1893). "DEBTS TOO BIG TO CARRY – MANHATTAN ATHLETIC CLUB GETS A RECEIVER. ANDREW FREEDMAN APPOINTED BY JUDGE PATTERSON ON PETITION OF THE DIRECTORS – ASSETS $1,440,834 AND LIABILITIES $1,096,107.97 – JAMES M. VARNUM, REFEREE". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  15. ^ "MR. FREEDMAN A MAGNATE; Will Probably Own the New-York Baseball Club. NEGOTIATIONS NOW IN PROGRESS To Control the Majority of Stock and Personally Supervise the Management of the Club's Affairs". The New York Times. January 17, 1895.
  16. ^ "Will Not Close Its Doors.; Manhattan Athletic Club To Continue Under A Receiver". The New York Times. February 8, 1893.
  17. ^ "A WELL APPOINTED CLUB – Promising Outlook of the New Manhattan Athletic Club. OPENING CEREMONIES TO-MORROW Handsome Decorations for the Event – Chauncey M. Depew to Speak – Amusement Features of the New Organization". The New York Times. December 14, 1894. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
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