CLEVELAND WHIST CLUB was incorporated as an Ohio non-profit organization on 8 Apr. 1895. The club was founded to play whist, a widely popular card game during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Whist appeared in literature and popular culture of the era, including Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”
Contract bridge gained national popularity after Harold Vanderbilt codified the game in 1925, leading many whist clubs to adopt the new format. The Cleveland Whist Club transitioned to contract bridge as well while retaining its original name.
Today, the organization is Unit 125 of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) and serves nearly 650 members across northern Ohio. The club hosts tournaments three times annually and regular weekly bridge games. Notable members have included past presidents of the ACBL, national bridge champions, and journalist and editor CARL TROWBRIDGE ROBERTSON.