The National Press Club

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History

The National Press Club became more than just a club for the Washington press to enjoy after a long day's work, it became a staple in the city social scene. It was born out of press members' desires to have a permanent place where they could call their own to come and relax, socialize, and catch up on the hot topics circulating the media. Originally they met in the pressroom of police headquarters on 12th street, where one day, Graham Nichol, who gauged the idea of establishing a club and asked for $10 from each member to establish a treasury. Within a month 32 newspapermen drafted a constitution and pledged support from over 200 colleagues to birth a National Press Club. Their first rented space was two floors at 1205 F. St. where diplomats, congressmen, and even Buffalo Bill Cody were invited to the opening. Since women were not allowed into the club until 1971, they started their own club that didn't allow men called the Washington Press Club. When the National Press Club allowed them to join a few years later in 1985 the two clubs merged. 



Current Headquarters

Then known as newspaper row, in 1927 the club opened its current headquarters on F Street which has since tremendously innovated. Even at the time, it was a marvel for the city of Washington, and because of its nobility, Calvin Coolidge lay the cornerstone for the new building. It was the largest private office building at the time and the top two floors housed the social club. In the 1980s it was gutted and renovated, and in 2006 a broadcast operations center was added to allow Washington bureaus of network and cable channels to report and transmit news across the world.

More Than Just A "Press" Club

Due to the press' relationship with Washington politicians, the press club quickly became a spot where congressmen, diplomats, actors, and even U.S. presidents have frequented. In fact, President Woodrow Wilson said that it was the only place in town where he could come to relax. William Howard Taft was the first president to visit the club where he gave the bartender a rosebud from his lapel in exchange for a glass of water. And Warren Harding was even a voting member of the club because of his background as a newspaper publisher. On the campaign front, Theodore Roosevelt may have hinted that he was going to run for reelection at the club and Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan announced their presidential campaigns at the club. President Roosevelt started the Newsmaker Luncheon Series in 1932 which has attracted global leaders including the Dalai Lama. It has also been instrumental in some of history's biggest events such as housing secret talks launching the Korean War and most recently a meeting convened by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists where they discussed "more than 11.5 million financial and legal records exposing a system that enables crime, corruption and wrongdoing hidden by secret offshore companies." (https://www.press.org/npc-history-facts)

Fun Facts

- The National Press Club Building is the only private office building in Washington with its own zip code
- The 14th Floor of the club's building is members only
- There is a members only Bar and Restaurant called "The Reliable Source"

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