Dateline Dayton — This week I would like to tell you about another of the gems of my town, “The Engineers Club of Dayton,” and especially their fabulous building.
Col. Edward A. Deeds and Charles F. Kettering, later known as Boss Kettering, founded The Engineers Club of Dayton in 1914. Both men worked at National Cash Register (NCR). They were part of the Barn Gang that met in a barn on Col. Deeds’s property to discuss engineering and other scientific issues.
On Feb. 20, 1914, Colonel Deeds called together a handful of key engineers and proposed to them the idea of establishing an Engineers Club of Dayton. The colonel’s proposal was overwhelmingly approved, and he and Kettering arranged for the club to meet a Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. (DELCO), a business they founded. Col. Deeds was elected the club’s first president (1914-1915)
As early as June 9, membership in The Engineers Club had reached 60. In 1915, John H. Patterson, the founder of NCR, was made the first honorary member of the Club.
The next year brought about a need for change. In addition to increasing the cost of lunch to $0.35, Col. Deeds and Kettering needed to find a new home for the club because Delco needed the property to construct a new factory. The search was on for a new home. Finally, Col. Deeds and Kettering decided upon the present location on the corner of Monument and Jefferson. The architectural firm of Schenck & Williams was asked to design the new club and to supervise the construction.
The building is a beautiful structure, consisting of a large dining room where banquets and weddings are held, an auditorium, four meeting rooms of various sizes, a large library and study areas. On the lower level, the members have just completed a nice bar,with many pictures of items developed in Dayton.
Upstairs, outside the auditorium, the club has a display of items from their collection, including an original Wright Brothers’ engine.
Mr. Hennessey may be contacted at pmhenn@sbcglobal.net
