Anonymous wrote:Now I want to be a member of the Cosmos Club!

Well, I do, too, but as a woman of color, the odds are slim that someone at my university would nominate me for membership. I've seen enough to realize this despite the fact that I've published, am tenured, and held leadership positions in my field. And I can afford the dues. Given how few tenured women of color there are in academia, you'd think that it would be relatively easy for Cosmos Club members to identify us as potential future members. And I know that there are white people who've held high level administrative positions at my university who are, in fact, members. They literally just do not see us as social peers.

Now I want to be a member of the Cosmos Club!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a member, has been for many years. Accomplished in physics & diplomacy.

Anyone who says they thought about joining and decline as BSing, either turned down or have no knowledge of how it works. It's an esteemed club - no buying your way in.

Maybe you are referring to me -- I was the one who was asked to join but declined. Aside from the practical reason I gave, above, there was also my perception that not only were the members old, but also that not much of importance was being done there, in contrast to an earlier day, when, for example, influential men (no women) of science and government worked out the establishment of the National Science Foundation and later NASA. More recently, if you want to be where a lot of deals are done in the tech field, you need to join the Tower Club in Tysons Corner (at the top of the "shopping bag building."

By process you would not have been asked to join. Perhaps someone might have suggested that you would be a good candidate for consideration and that they would nominate you so you could be considered for membership. And if you did go through the whole process and then changed your mind because of the reasons you state, it just doesn't make sense. At any rate, the Cosmos Club is an intellectual group of accomplished and highly regarded people who are notable and documented (not necessarily published) in their field. Membership in the club is considered elite by many people. It takes time and experience to even be considered as a viable candidate. Deals in the tech field and accomplishments measured by likes, subscribers & investment rounds is not what the club is about, not it is ever likely to be.

Because the club is private, I won't go into more details but there have been claims of it dying for decades; diversifying the membership does not happen overnight because of the admittance criteria. But claiming "unwillingness to act upon the problem of racial exclusion" is ignorant and uninformed.

Numbers speak louder than words. What percentage of the membership is white?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a member, has been for many years. Accomplished in physics & diplomacy.

Anyone who says they thought about joining and decline as BSing, either turned down or have no knowledge of how it works. It's an esteemed club - no buying your way in.

Maybe you are referring to me -- I was the one who was asked to join but declined. Aside from the practical reason I gave, above, there was also my perception that not only were the members old, but also that not much of importance was being done there, in contrast to an earlier day, when, for example, influential men (no women) of science and government worked out the establishment of the National Science Foundation and later NASA. More recently, if you want to be where a lot of deals are done in the tech field, you need to join the Tower Club in Tysons Corner (at the top of the "shopping bag building."

By process you would not have been asked to join. Perhaps someone might have suggested that you would be a good candidate for consideration and that they would nominate you so you could be considered for membership. And if you did go through the whole process and then changed your mind because of the reasons you state, it just doesn't make sense. At any rate, the Cosmos Club is an intellectual group of accomplished and highly regarded people who are notable and documented (not necessarily published) in their field. Membership in the club is considered elite by many people. It takes time and experience to even be considered as a viable candidate. Deals in the tech field and accomplishments measured by likes, subscribers & investment rounds is not what the club is about, not it is ever likely to be.

Because the club is private, I won't go into more details but there have been claims of it dying for decades; diversifying the membership does not happen overnight because of the admittance criteria. But claiming "unwillingness to act upon the problem of racial exclusion" is ignorant and uninformed.

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a member, has been for many years. Accomplished in physics & diplomacy.

Anyone who says they thought about joining and decline as BSing, either turned down or have no knowledge of how it works. It's an esteemed club - no buying your way in.

Maybe you are referring to me -- I was the one who was asked to join but declined. Aside from the practical reason I gave, above, there was also my perception that not only were the members old, but also that not much of importance was being done there, in contrast to an earlier day, when, for example, influential men (no women) of science and government worked out the establishment of the National Science Foundation and later NASA. More recently, if you want to be where a lot of deals are done in the tech field, you need to join the Tower Club in Tysons Corner (at the top of the "shopping bag building."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a member, has been for many years. Accomplished in physics & diplomacy.

Anyone who says they thought about joining and decline as BSing, either turned down or have no knowledge of how it works. It's an esteemed club - no buying your way in.

This is harsh but the truth. CC may be one of the few exceptional places where money can’t get you a membership.

But having money and being White do help. I mean, take a look at the membership! What percentage of the membership is White?

There are POC who are qualified academics, journalists, and civil servants who would be honored to be asked to join the Cosmos Club and who could afford it (from, what I understand, the dues are not that high relatively speaking). But, what prevents diversification from happening is White members don't reach out to POC who are their junior colleagues. Instead, they feel the most comfortable socializing with and mentoring people who look like themselves. This is a major problem in hiring in academia, and the Cosmos Club is essentially rarified extension of (already rare) tenure.
For all the brains that are at the Cosmos Club, their unwillingness to act upon the problem of racial exclusion and its overwhelming Whiteness is an expression of their contentedness with the racist status quo. They were basically forced to accept women some 40 years ago. Hopefully, these women and the men who supported ending sex-discrimination will pave the way to making concrete changes and incentives to diversity the club racially. There really is no morally sound argument for its lack of diversity in this day and age. And if the Club doesn't start reaching out to younger and more diverse potential members, the Club will die out within the next generation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a member, has been for many years. Accomplished in physics & diplomacy.

Anyone who says they thought about joining and decline as BSing, either turned down or have no knowledge of how it works. It's an esteemed club - no buying your way in.

This is harsh but the truth. CC may be one of the few exceptional places where money can’t get you a membership.

But, it can prevent you from accepting one.

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a member, has been for many years. Accomplished in physics & diplomacy.

Anyone who says they thought about joining and decline as BSing, either turned down or have no knowledge of how it works. It's an esteemed club - no buying your way in.

This is harsh but the truth. CC may be one of the few exceptional places where money can’t get you a membership.

My husband is a member, has been for many years. Accomplished in physics & diplomacy.

Anyone who says they thought about joining and decline as BSing, either turned down or have no knowledge of how it works. It's an esteemed club - no buying your way in.

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a member. He was invited and needed two written recommendations from current members. It’s totally cool. There’s a Pulitzer Prize room and a Nobel Prize room, both full of photos of members who have won these. I was surprised how many women and POCs there actually are, at least in those photos. The bar and dining room do often seem full of the 75+ crowd but so many high achieving intellectuals there. They have an awesome library filled with books written by members. And I love that there’s still a place on DC where politicals of every stripe mingle and agree to disagree. My husband never published a book. But he’s extremely well regarded in the science and policy worlds.

What does your husband do?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My grandmother was a member and I think it was because she moved in very political circles from the 1940s-1980s or so. She was a real Washington society doyenne.

Women weren't allowed to join until recently. Sorry.

Then I guess she had spousal privileges? Not really sure, it isn’t my type of thing. But I definitely went there a ton with her.

My scientist father was a member when he married my mom in the early 1960's. She made him quit because she thought it was sexist only men could join and women were only allow in the building on certain occasions.

Then, maybe 30 years later, well after my parents were divorced and well after women were allowed as members, my dad wrote a one sentence letter to the club that said something like, "While I resigned my membership in 1963, I wish to reconsider." and they let him back in. He used to hang out there in his old age and he'd invite us to dinner. The food is terrible but it is fun to go there anyway occasionally.

That is a GREAT story! I am glad they let him back in. I can see my mom making my dad doing something like that lol.

My husband is a member. He was invited and needed two written recommendations from current members. It’s totally cool. There’s a Pulitzer Prize room and a Nobel Prize room, both full of photos of members who have won these. I was surprised how many women and POCs there actually are, at least in those photos. The bar and dining room do often seem full of the 75+ crowd but so many high achieving intellectuals there. They have an awesome library filled with books written by members. And I love that there’s still a place on DC where politicals of every stripe mingle and agree to disagree. My husband never published a book. But he’s extremely well regarded in the science and policy worlds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe to diversify and become more relevant - and retain the vibe of a congenial bygone era - they could plug themselves as a bipartisan oasis where powerful people from Both sides of the aisle can comfortably mingle.

It might help to heal the partisan divide in DC if top thinkers from both parties socialized more as they did decades ago before the Newt Gingrich militarization of GOP antics.

I know two past presidents who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum.

That is amazing!

Maybe they could be more intentional about encouraging broader intellectual Discussion and friendship from both parties (maybe more youth such as a Tik Tok youth) to encourage safe social specs where thought leaders know each other as people not just as political Rivals. DC has become so toxic …

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My grandmother was a member and I think it was because she moved in very political circles from the 1940s-1980s or so. She was a real Washington society doyenne.

Women weren't allowed to join until recently. Sorry.

Then I guess she had spousal privileges? Not really sure, it isn’t my type of thing. But I definitely went there a ton with her.

My scientist father was a member when he married my mom in the early 1960's. She made him quit because she thought it was sexist only men could join and women were only allow in the building on certain occasions.

Then, maybe 30 years later, well after my parents were divorced and well after women were allowed as members, my dad wrote a one sentence letter to the club that said something like, "While I resigned my membership in 1963, I wish to reconsider." and they let him back in. He used to hang out there in his old age and he'd invite us to dinner. The food is terrible but it is fun to go there anyway occasionally.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe to diversify and become more relevant - and retain the vibe of a congenial bygone era - they could plug themselves as a bipartisan oasis where powerful people from Both sides of the aisle can comfortably mingle.

It might help to heal the partisan divide in DC if top thinkers from both parties socialized more as they did decades ago before the Newt Gingrich militarization of GOP antics.

I know two past presidents who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum.