A snippet of Press Club history: Sousa, Berlin, Gershwin celebrate ASCAP anniversary

Snippet #12: Songwriters: The National Press Club had a song in its heart in 1924 when it hosted a "songwriters" night" to celebrate the 10th birthday of ASCAP--the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Irving Berlin was there, as were Jerome Kern, John Phillip Sousa, Victor Herbert and young George Gershwin.

Berlin confessed that although he could write unforgettable songs, he could only play them on the piano's black keys.

Music was in the air that evening at the Press Club -- where news is made in the nation's capital.

This snippet was one of many put together by the late Art Wiese, who served as NPC president in 1979. He was responsible for planning much of the reconstruction in the early 1980s. In his later years, he put together a series of snippets on the Club's history. In honor of his passing last year, the Wire plans to run one of them each week while they last.