University Club of Chicago
Hillary Wiedemann is a professional with extensive experience in membership management and institutional relations within the art sector. Currently serving as the Membership Manager at the University Club of Chicago since July 2022, Hillary previously held the position of Assistant Director of Institutional Relations at the Art Institute of Chicago from March 2018 to July 2022. Prior roles include Development Communications Specialist at the Art Institute of Chicago, Co-Director at Royal NoneSuch Gallery, and various positions at California College of the Arts, including Associate Director for User Support Services. Earlier career experiences include Lead Preparator at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Administrator at The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, and Gallery Manager at Artists Space. Hillary holds an MFA in Sculpture from California College of the Arts and a BFA in Glass from the Rhode Island School of Design, along with coursework in Glass in Architecture from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.
University Club of Chicago
Our Story It began over a century ago, when a small group of university graduates gathered together in order to establish a meeting place of their own. The State of Illinois granted them a charter in 1887. Their goal was simple – to foster an appreciation of literature and the arts and to create an environment where they, their guests and all future members could draw upon sustaining values of a common educational experience. The founders represented a variety of higher education institutions, bringing together unique backgrounds and interests. Among these founding members were Cyrus Hall McCormick Jr., President of International Harvester, Frederic Clay Bartlett, an avant-garde painter and art collector, and William Eliot Furness, an abolitionist credited with creating one of the Union Army's first regiments of free and former slaves. The Club first rented rooms in the Henning Speed building at 125 N. Dearborn Street and later purchased 116 N. Dearborn Street which provided accommodations for members during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. In 1906, the present property became available and the Club made plans to move to its final (and current) home at 76 E. Monroe Street, just as Michigan Avenue was becoming a major cultural hub for Chicago. As vanguards of the Chicago School of Architecture, members and architects William Holabird and Martin Roche presented designs for the new Clubhouse. Although the members had been expecting designs in the style of the adjacent Gage buildings, which Holabird and Roche also designed, the pair returned with a shocking Gothic "skyscraper." Their design became the first of its kind, and the completed building was occupied by the membership on April 3, 1909. Who We Are We are a private members' club that is committed to fostering an appreciation of literature and the arts. We are member-owned, Board-driven and are proud to provide a space where members can explore many intellectual and cultural pursuits. College or universit