Over the entrance to 27 West 44th Street in New York, in the heart of the busiest part of the city, flies a large crimson flag with an H in the middle. It marks the men's entrance to the Harvard Club of New York City, which is not to be confused with the women's entrance next door.

For though fifteen years ago the Club opened its ladies Annex, there is no danger of forgetting that it is, and will remain, what it has been for more than 90 years: a men's social club, one of whose membership requirements is a connection with Harvard University.

More Than an Alumni Group

Like most of the other clubs, the Harvard Club of New York is not merely an alumni club. While it does fulfill the normal functions of an alumni organization, and has recently extended its work in this area, it serves as a social focus for Harvard men who live in and visit the City. This is mainly because it has its own large clubhouse.

The social functions of the Club definitely predominate the activities of its more than 6300 members. It is a sanctuary for those who wish to escape the City and return to the womb of their College days to participate once again in the Georgian splendors of their Alma Mater. From the lovely new rugs in the main hall embossed with the Veritas Seal to the squash courts on the upper floors, the Club manages to achieve the University ideal of gracious living which never quite comes across in the Houses.

It is sort of a high class Biltmore clock at which to meet your friends: a restaurant, bar, hotel, athletic club, and game room all rolled into one posh ball. To its dining halls an average of 500 people come for lunch every day, well over 200 more for dinner, and about 70 for breakfast. Its 60-odd rooms are almost always filled, and the seven private dining halls, more often than not, are used for class meetings and private parties.

The building, which is between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and runs from 44th to 45th Streets, is almost ideally located. It is only a short distance from Grand Central Station and from Times Square, and only a brief taxi or subway ride from the downtown financial district.

On the first floor is the main entrance hall with the beautiful wide staircase leading to the upper floors (there are elevators, too). Beyond it is the bar, always crowded around the meal hours; the Grill Room, where many men gather to read, smoke, or play dominoes, chess, and backgammon; the main dining hall; and the enormous Harvard Hall, ninety feet long, and three stories high.

The main dining hall is divided into two parts for lunch: One half is cafeteria-style, ever-so-faintly reminiscent of the Houses, and the other half is serviced by waiters. The menu is the same in both parts, and at dinner, there is no self-service.

Moving on upstairs, to the second floor, there are writing rooms and a large library, furnished very much like the House libraries, if a little more comfortably, containing well over 20,000 volumes and many periodicals.

The third floor is entirely devoted to the seven private dining rooms serviced by eight portable bars. The largest of these is the sumptuous Biddle room which can seat 150 for dinner, and is used for class meetings.

Storing Clean Clothes

On the fourth floor, there are 30 bedrooms, all air-conditioned, an air-conditioned card room, and the valet service. In addition, the halls are lined with bureaus which can be rented by out-of-town members for the storage of clean clothes. The fifth floor has another 31 bedrooms for out-of-towners, who number over half the membership of the Club.

The sixth floor houses four squash courts, a tennis and squash supply shop, lockers, a television room, dressing rooms for commuters, and shower rooms. The other two squash courts are on the seventh floor along with the gymnasium, steam room, masseur, and 12-bed dormitory, used when the bedrooms are filled.

Throughout the building there is a preponderance of large, deep, leather armchairs.