The Houston Club. Chartered in 1894, the Houston Club began as a gentlemen-only club for literary discourse. In the 1920s, it became more business oriented through association with the Houston Chamber of Commerce. Its membership has included such notable civic and professional leaders as William Marsh Rice, John Henry Kirby, Jesse H. Jones, M.D. Anderson, Hugh Roy Cullen, Tobias Sakowitz and Ben Taub, among many others. The club expanded its member base with the first African American member joining in 1981 and the first woman in 1982. The club, which moved to this site in 1955, remains a significant center of business, social, cultural and philanthropic influence within the city. (2006) #13445