Gaynor Club

 

The Gaynor Club was founded in the fall of 1907 by Miss Bertha Hussey, who was then the preceptress at Ladies' Hall. She chose Ruth Wheaton Johnson to be the first director, and the name Gaynor Club came from the songwriter Mrs. Jessie Lovel Gaynor, whose songs were then popular. The club was formed out of a desire to have a women’s version of the men’s Glee Club, which was founded in 1906. The Gaynor Club was a women’s musical group which included both vocal and instrumental involvement. The group put together yearly performance programs, often presented locally at the First Baptist Church. They also were known to travel to put on concerts throughout West Michigan, and at times, over the radio. The club eventually dissipated after the close of their 1946-47 season, following the return of many male students from the armed forces and therefore an increased involvement and interest in men’s and mixed gender singing groups, such as the Kalamazoo College Singers.

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Recent Submissions

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1911 flyer 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1911)
    Flyer from a 1911 Gaynor Club concert. This concert took place at the Baptist Church. At this time, the Gaynor Club had twenty members.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1916 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1916-03-24)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from March 24, 1916.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club Season 1917 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1917)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from 1917 season. Members pictured in the photo are unidentified.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1928-29 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1928)
    Photo of Gaynor Club photos from the 1928-29 season.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1932-33 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1932)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from 1932-33 season.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1912 Spring Trip photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1912)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from 1912 leaving for their spring trip. Members appear to be at a train station and are dressed in travel attire surrounded by luggage. An unnamed conductor stands in the background. Members ...

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1914 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1914)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from 1914. Members pictured in this photo are unidentified.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1918 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1918)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from 1918.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1912 photo print 

    Austin, G.W. (Kalamazoo College, 1912)
    Photo of members of the Gaynor Club from 1912. Larger print of the photo that can be found on postcard from the same year.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1910 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1910)
    Photo of members of the Gaynor Club from 1910, printed on the front of a postcard. Members pictured in the photo are unidentified.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1915-16 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1915)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from the 1915-16 season. Printed on the front of a postcard. Members pictured in the photo are unidentified.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1912 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1912-03-02)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from 1912 printed on the front of a postcard.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1912 postcard 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1912)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from the 1912 season. Pictured members are not identified. The photo is printed on the back of a postcard which contains a note from someone by the name of Esther.

  • Gaynor Club Trip Spring 1915 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1915)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members in travel clothes on a trip in the spring of 1915. Those pictured are unidentified.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1911 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1911)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from the 1911 season. This photo is printed on the back of a blank postcard.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1945 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1945)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from the 1945 season. Dr. Henry Overley stands in the middle row at center. Name "O.J. Curtiss" is printed along the bottom along with the year. Members in the photo are unidentified.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1909 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1909)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members from the 1909 season. The Director for this season was E.C. Wilcox, and the Faculty Advisor was Mrs. Williams. E.C. Wilcox is pictured in the 2nd row, 4th from the left.

  • Kalamazoo College Gaynor Club 1914-15 photo 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1914)
    Photo of Gaynor Club members for the 1914-15 season.

  • The First Gaynor Club 

    Unknown author (Kalamazoo College, 1908-03)
    Donated along with a handwritten description by Ruth Wheaton Johnson. Johnson was the first Director and Accompanist of the Gaynor Club.

  • Gaynor Club lyric booklet 

    Kalamazoo College (Kalamazoo College, 1937)
    Booklet from the Gaynor Club. Handwritten name "Ruth Spencer" is written in the front cover. Though the booklet does not specify a year, Ruth Spencer can be found in the 1937 issue of the Boiling Pot. The program is a small ...

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