Business as usual at the NPC? JFK, riots and the Saturday Night Massacre in "Tales from the Tap Room"

John Cosgrove had a surprise guest at his inaugural party 50 years ago. John F. Kennedy who was celebrating his inauguration wanted his own NPC membership card and he stopped by to receive it. Allan Cromley was faced by a nearly empty club because downtown was virtually closed because of riots, assassinations and political upheaval. Cromley's earlier run in with the law jeopardized the Club's liquor laws. Don Larrabee was hosting the first Fourth Estate dinner honoring Walter Cronkite when world came that Nixon had fired Watergate prosecutors in the Saturday Night Massacre. Reporters left in droves to cover the news.

These three -- Cosgrove (1961), Cromley (1968) and Larrabee (1973) -- are the senior former Club presidents and they gathered Monday before the fireplace in theHoloman Lounge to relate some of the highlights and low lights of their terms. Not surprisingly developments outside the Club had great influence on what was happening inside. The stories of how the Club and its elected leaders dealt with outside developments is a story worth telling.

Also taking part in the program was 2011 president Mark Hamrick and 1979 president Art Wiese who served as moderator.

The History & Heritage Committee sponsored the program which it called "Tales from the Tap Room." A video tape will be maintained in the Archives.