Founded in 1836 as a literary society by the editors of Harvardiana, the club was granted a charter by the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity on March 29, 1837.
In 1906, the fraternity's charter was once again surrendered, and in 1910, the organization officially adopted the name "Fly Club," its unofficial title since 1885.
[1] The club motto, suggested by Prof. Morris H. Morgan (class of 1881) and adopted Feb. 1902, reads DURATURIS HAUD DURIS VINCULIS, an ablative absolute construction translated as "Bonds should be lasting, not chafing or hard."
An English Baroque structure, the gate was built in 1914 by a grant from members of the Fly Club.
Inscribed below is a dedication: "For Friendships Made in College the Fly Club in Gratitude has Built this Gate.