Tuna Club of Avalon

The Tuna Club of Avalon is a private members's club in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island in California.

Tuna Club of Avalon
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
California Historical Landmark No. 997
Main entrance
Location	100 St. Catherine Way, Catalina Island, Avalon, California
Coordinates	33°20′44″N 118°19′35″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1916
Architectural style	Bungalow/craftsman
NRHP reference No.	91000338[1]
CHISL No.	997
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	April 2, 1991
Designated CHISL	Feb. 11, 1991

History

The club was founded by Charles Frederick Holder (1851–1915) in 1898.[2][3][4]

Early members included Zane Grey, Bing Crosby, Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, Hal Roach, Cecil B. DeMille, Herbert Hoover and George S. Patton.[2][3][4] Among the first honorary members were Theodore Roosevelt, then Governor of New York, author Henry Van Dyke (both elected in 1898), Henry Markham (elected in 1899), ex-President Grover Cleveland (1899), Gifford Pinchot (1906) and Charles Hallock (1907).[5] Against widespread opinion and popular belief, the future prime minister Winston Churchill was not part of the membership.[6] The club hosted Churchill once, for a unique visit in 1929. On that occasion the then Chancellor of the Exchequer caught a 125-pound marlin.[7][8]

The club was all-male for many years, but membership to women is now welcome.[9]

Beyond its listed clubhouse, it also leases waterfront facilities.[10]

Clubhouse

The clubhouse is located at 100 St. Catherine Way in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island in California. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since April 2, 1991. It is also listed as a California Historical Landmark.[11]

The state marker on the site reads:

• NO. 997 TUNA CLUB OF AVALON - The Tuna Club of Avalon marks the birthplace of modern big game sportfishing in 1898. Led by Dr. Charles Frederick Holder, the club's founding members adopted the rules of conduct stressing conservationist ethics and sporting behavior. Today, their work remains the basis for the sport's internationally accepted principles.

The clubhouse was used as a location for the 1974 film Chinatown. In the film, the Tuna Club was renamed the Albacore Club.

Bibliography

• Farrior, Michael (2004). The History of the Tuna Club, 1898–1998. Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, CA: Tuna Club Foundation. OCLC 54039547.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Pete Thomas, Pioneers on the angling front, The Los Angeles Times, December 09, 2003
3. Rich Roberts, Looking for Big Fish? Join the Club : At Catalina's Tuna Club, They're Hooked on Tradition, The Los Angeles Times, October 13, 1993
4. Catalina Museum
5. Charles Frederick Holder (1910). The Channel Islands of California, p. 77
6. The History of the Tuna Club of Avalon, information provided by the Tuna Club, on slayerrrods.com
7. Churchill, Winston on the Islapedia website
8. Catalina Island Museum, Islander Museum benefit offers rare tours of legendary Tuna Club facilities, The Catalina Islander, August 29, 2014
9. Adrianne Goodman, Avalon Takes Tuna Club's Word on Discrimination, The Los Angeles Times, July 20, 1989
10. Adrianne Goodman, Avalon to Negotiate New Lease With Tuna Club, The Los Angeles Times, December 8, 1989
11. "The Tuna Club of Avalon". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 27 September 2015.