Allen W. Evarts

Allen Wardner Evarts was the son of William M. Evarts, Secretary of State in the cabinet of President Hayes and Senator from New York. The elder Evarts was elected to the Century in the second year (1848) of the Club’s existence. From the time of the son’s admission to the bar of New York until his death, he was associated with his father’s distinguished firm, Evarts, Southmayd and Choate, Centurions all. He received his degree of Bachelor of Arts at Yale and his law degree at the Columbia Law School where later he was a lecturer.

A genial and stimulating companion, Evarts became addicted—alas for the Century!—to the University Club at a time when card playing was banned at the bibulous, pool-playing, roistering Century club-house at 109 East Fifteenth Street.

A bachelor, he served Vassar as a trustee for forty-two years. Outdoing his father by eight years, Evarts was sixty-one years a Centurion—the longest term on this list, the second longest of the present membership. During his membership he saw this community expand in population from less than two to more than seven millions, and he had the privilege of voting for (or against) nine presidents of the Club—Bryant, Huntington, Potter, Bigelow, Choate, Root, Platt, Melchers, and Cortissoz.

Geoffrey Parsons
1939 Century Memorials