The night the Club became 'Playboy Mansion East': Snippet of Press Club history

Snippet #28:

"Playboy Mansion East": It was a night to remember in 1979 when editor-publisher Hugh Hefner and two dozen of his lovely friends took over the National Press Club ballroom to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Playboy's founding. The champagne flowed, Hefner made a speech but the women in the bunny costumes, many of them former centerfold models, were clearly the star attractions. For one evening the Club was the Playboy Mansion East. The National Press Club -- where news (sometimes beautiful news) is made in the nation's capital.

This Club history snippet is one of the many put together by Art Wiese, who served as Club president in 1979. He was responsible for the reconstruction of the Club during its renovation in the early 1980s. In honor of his passing last year, the Wire is running one of them each week while they last.