1908-1920: Beginnings

Graham B. Nichol

Graham B. Nichol, a flamboyant police and city hall reporter for the Washington Times, conceived of the National Press Club during a chance meeting with reporter James Hay Jr. (not pictured) in February 1908 on the corner of 14th and F streets. A few weeks later (March 12), Nichol convened a gathering of 32 journalists at the Washington Chamber of Commerce to found the Club.
Certificate of Incorporation

Two days after the Club’s constitution was adopted during a meeting at the Willard Hotel, the official charter (“Certificate of Incorporation of the National Press Club of Washington, D.C.”) was signed on April 1, 1908. It stated that the Club’s main purpose was to “associate ourselves for mutual improvement.” (Click here to view larger size)
William P. Spurgeon

The National Press Club first opened its doors above a jeweler’s shop at 1205 F St. on May 2, 1908. Its first president was William P. Spurgeon, managing editor of the Washington Post and an immigrant from England.
1910 Board of Governors

The 1910 Board of Governors included newsmen from the Chicago Tribune, Washington Star, Kansas City Journal, Boston Herald, Washington Herald, Pittsburgh Gazette, and the Associated Press.
Club Library, 1914

The National Press Club moved to spacious new quarters ─ its third site ─ in 1914 at the Riggs Building on the corner of 15th and G streets. Here is the Club’s library (photographed that year) which housed runs of the principal newspapers of the day, recent books by members and reference works.
Main Clubroom, 1914

The National Press Club moved to spacious new quarters ─ its third site ─ in 1914 at the Riggs Building on the corner of 15th and G streets. Here is the main clubroom (photographed that year) with its massive fireplace and walls lined with newspaper mats.
1914 National Press Club Yearbook

1914 National Press Club yearbook. The front and back covers feature facsimiles of newspaper mats, and the title is in reverse ─ a reference to the reverse order in which type was composed in the manually operated printing presses of an earlier era.
1914 National Press Club Yearbook

1914 National Press Club yearbook. The inside covers feature an ornate Art Nouveau-inspired design.