The International Club of Annapolis first met on January 24, 1962 with the sponsorship and cooperation of St. John’s College in Annapolis, an institution noted for its unique interest and curriculum in international affairs. It was initially composed of a small group of local residents interested in providing an opportunity for active contact with languages and cultures of people from other countries. This first meeting was held at Carvel Hall with 75 people in attendance and a representative of the French Embassy was the invited guest dinner speaker. Each of the dinner tables had a card indicating the language spoken at the table – French, Spanish, Russian, German, Italian, Urdu, English, and a few others requested by the members.

The Club was formalized with a Constitution and Bylaws by December of that year. It is governed by a Board of Directors, elected by the membership for a two-year term of office. Each Member of the Board is responsible for various administrative and operational functions required to further the objectives and operations of the Club and all are volunteers. We are a 501(c)(3) organization.

Over the years, the Club moved its monthly meetings to several locations to accommodate the size of the membership attending. Meetings now occur at the Double Tree Hotel in Annapolis. During that time period, members participated in hosting numerous foreign students, arranging personal meetings for foreign dignitaries at American homes, and focusing on inviting guest dinner speakers from various countries, the latter a practice which continues to this day.