The International Lyceum Club of Paris's Jubilée
Founded three years after London, the Lyceum Club of Paris was the third historic Lyceum Club to be created (Berlin being the second). The idea of opening a Club in Paris, published in the newspaper Le Gaulois in 1903, was initially met with some skepticism. Most of the pioneering women who responded to the announcement were not convinced of the need for such an initiative. However, one gentleman succeeded in changing their minds by demonstrating the advantages of working together in unity and solidarity. This gentleman was Mr. Smedley, Constance’s father.
The Club’s first president was the Duchess of Uzès, who led it until her death in 1933. A pioneer, sculptor, and committed feminist, she was exceptionally wealthy, well connected, and lived her passions to the fullest. Under her leadership the Lyceum Club flourished and quickly gained prestige extending well beyond Paris. Today, the Club has more than 170 members, making it the largest Lyceum Club in France.
After the Second World War, in 1945, Madame Le Bec, together with other women who had been part of the French Resistance, founded the Club Féminin de Paris. This Club later merged with the Lyceum Club to become the Club Féminin de Paris–Lyceum. Madame Le Bec led the Club until 1970 and initiated the creation of other Lyceum Clubs in Orléans, Bordeaux, and Fontainebleau.
The Lyceum Club of Paris also played a key role in the creation of Clubs abroad, notably in Moscow in 1992, Philadelphia in 2000, and Brussels in 2007. Not all of these Clubs survived the upheavals of recent times. However, to strengthen ties and consolidate the Lyceum’s international presence, twinning agreements were established. Today, Paris is twinned with Basel, Brussels, and London.
