Associates are eligible to become members of the Athenaeum, Caltech's private faculty club.

The Athenaeum has great historic value to the Associates. It was built with funds donated by founding members of the Associates, Allan and Janet Balch, and was conceived as a gathering place, a hearthstone, for the Associates, the faculty, and other members of the Caltech community.

Since the first formal dinner in January 1931, held to honor visiting professor Albert Einstein, the Athenaeum has been the scene of countless memorable events. On occasions both formal and informal, it has welcomed the spirited intellectual community of which the Associates are such important partners. Growing only more beautiful with time and loving restoration, the Athenaeum continues to be the gracious icon of this enduring partnership.