Abstract
Oral history interview with Stanley Adelstein, a longtime member of the Cleveland City Club who joined in 1941 and served in various leadership roles over 63 years. Adelstein discusses the club's evolution from its original location on Vincent Avenue to its current Citizens Building headquarters, including the transition from Saturday to Friday forums and the admission of women members in the 1970s. He describes the club's distinctive traditions, including the famous Soviet Table where members engaged in political discussions, the elaborate Anvil Revue theatrical productions that lampooned public figures, and the club's commitment to free speech through controversial speakers and debates. The interview covers notable speakers from George Wallace to Ronald Reagan, memorable debates between political figures like Howard Metzenbaum and John Glenn, and the club's financial challenges and solutions including corporate sponsorship and funded forums. Adelstein also discusses the club's outreach programs including student forums and high school debate tournaments, reflecting on how the organization adapted to changing times while maintaining its core mission of providing a platform for open dialogue and debate on public issues.
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Interviewee
Adelstein, Stanley (interviewee)
Interviewer
Humphrey, Tom (interviewer); Estrin, Rachel (participant)
Project
City Club - Civil Rights
Date
8-4-2004
Document Type
Oral History
Duration
104 minutes
Recommended Citation
"Stanley Adelstein interview, 04 August 2004" (2004). Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection. Interview 807004.
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/crohc000/803
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
