Readings and Resources

A Brief History of the Cosmos Club

A Brief History of the Cosmos Club (PDF) contains a short description of the Club’s founding and history put together by the Club’s History Committee.


Centennial History

The Centennial History is a book-length chronicle of the Club from 1878 through 1994 written by Wilbur E. Washburn. Although no longer in stock, the Club has arranged with the bookstore Politics and Prose to produce copies on demand for Club members.


Occasional Papers

The Occasional Papers series is published in electronic form for members only. It deals with Club history and contributions of Club members to the arts, sciences, and society as a whole.


Self-Guided Tour of the Mansion

The Cosmos Club: A Self-Guided Tour of the Mansion (PDF) is a 2018 brochure designed to guide users on a walking tour of the public rooms of the Clubhouse with links back to the Club website.

Cosmos Club History: Townsend House (1952-1979)

“Notes for Tour of Townsend Mansion, Home of the Cosmos Club, July 2015,” (PDF) Harvey Alter (’70), Editor, with updates by Jean Taylor Federico (’92) and Betty C. Monkman (’04), (includes several excepts from the Cosmos Club Bulletin describing the Warne Ballroom history and articles from the March Bulletin, Vol. 66, No. 3, covering the 2012 renovation).

Selective Bibliography of the Cosmos Club and Townsend House

For those interested in reading about the history of the Cosmos Club and the Townsend House, a bibliography of items available in the Club’s Library has been prepared by the Club Librarian and Ruth O. Selig (’07).