Our Story
The Athenaeum was founded by Paula Aaronson, who noticed something lacking in Roland Park, Baltimore: there was very little in-person, intellectually stimulating programming for seniors in the neighborhood. She set out to change that.
We know what the research confirms and what experience makes plain: staying curious, engaged, and socially connected is one of the most powerful things any of us can do for our health and happiness as we age. Meeting new people, exercising our minds, and being part of a community are not luxuries — they are essential.
Every Thursday, our members gather in person to do exactly that. They explore history, science, literature, and more — taught by accomplished scholars and practitioners who bring genuine depth to every session. They debate ideas, share perspectives, and leave a little more informed than when they arrived.
The Athenaeum is not just a place to learn. It is a place to belong.
About our Founder
Paula Aaronson retired in 2020. Since then she has come to find that – outside of family - the senior citizens’ courses she has taken have been the most meaningful aspect of her life. This relates to the type of professional career she has had since college and graduate school at Tufts and Columbia Universities.
Paula DeGruttola Aaronson began her career teaching French in a public high school in the Boston area. She developed a curriculum - and wrote a book - combining 3rd year French language with medieval through 18th century French history as well as European art and music, which became a very popular course for a number of years. She then moved on from teaching secondary school to teaching French at Tufts University. Thereafter she became the Program Director of the French Library on Marlborough Street in Boston, where she produced classical concerts, lectures in French and in English, and art and photography exhibits. After her second child was born, a massive electrical house fire ended her work at the French Library. Rebuilding the house was her focus for the next three years, working with architects and contractors, and following that detour, she embarked on a new career at WGBH, the flagship public television station in Boston. In 2001 the Aaronson family moved to Baltimore where Paula’s husband had been recruited to run the Division of Clinical Research at Sheppard Pratt Hospital. Once the children were settled in their new home, Paula began to work in development at Johns Hopkins University, retiring 15 years later.