The American Club of Paris, France's oldest non-diplomatic American institution, has always had a dual purpose: to provide Americans living in and around Paris with opportunities to meet, and at the same time, to preserve the special ties America has had with France for more that two centuries. 

Over the years, this double role has attracted well established and influential members from a wide range of fields: business, politics, media, the professions, diplomacy, and the arts. 

Most of the Club's members are Americans, some of them long-time residents of France and others who are short-term professionals on assignment. 

Nonetheless, one-third of the members are Europeans – mostly French citizens who seek to preserve business and social contacts made either during stints in the U.S. or through transcontinental business or social alliances, some of them dating as far back as the Second World War. This mixture of nationalities and personalities has forged the Club a reputation as an ideal forum for Franco-American dialogue.