Owls Hoot

This event is open only to National Press Club members & their guests.

 

Sep 26 2025

Clock icon WHEN:

Sep 26, 2025 at 6:00pm

Where icon WHERE:

Ballroom

User icon CONTACT INFO:

Madison Siciliano

[email protected]

Info icon MORE INFO:

Social Event

Join us for the Owls annual Hoot at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 26 at The National Press Club.

Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief of USA TODAY and a longtime Press Club member, will be the guest of honor at this year’s Hoot. 

She will be awarded the Order of the Owl to recognize her outstanding career contributions to the pursuit of truth and the public's understanding of important issues facing our nation. 

The Order of the Owl is an honor bestowed by the Council of Wisest Owls to recognize extraordinary contributions to journalism.
Previous recipients include Mark Russell, Art Buchwald, Andy Rooney, Austin Kiplinger, Tom Toles, Petula Dvorak, Dan Balz, Brian Lamb and Judy Woodruff.

"Susan Page has been an impactful and insightful reporter during her years covering the White House and national politics. We look forward to celebrating her continued, award-winning coverage," said Rod Kuckro, the Owls' Head Hoot.

Attendance is open to any Press Club member and their guests.

The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception featuring passed hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Guests will enjoy live jazz from a talented trio of student musicians from the D.C. area, performing through the generous support of Blues Alley. 

Dinner will follow at 7:00 p.m., featuring a three-course meal and two glasses of wine.

Tickets are $70 for National Press Club members and $80 for guests, and include dinner, wine, and all program elements. 

The program will include formal recognition of newly inducted Silver Owls (25 years of membership), Golden Owls (50 years), and Platinum Owls (60 years), each of whom will be presented with a certificate commemorating their long-standing contributions to the Club community.

Susan Page is the Washington Bureau chief of USA TODAY, where she writes about the White House and national politics. She is also the best-selling author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters; Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power, and The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty. Her latest book, The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand that Shaped the World, is being published by HarperCollins in April 2026.

In 2024, Susan covered her twelfth presidential election and is now covering her eighth White House administration. She has interviewed the past ten presidents (three after they left office), and she has served as president of the White House Correspondents Association and of the Gridiron Club, the oldest association of journalists in Washington. Among her awards are the White House Correspondents Association Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure; the Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence in White House Coverage; the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency, and the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Washington Correspondence. In 2020, she moderated the vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris. (Yes, that was the one with the fly.)

Susan, a native of Wichita, Kansas, has a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a master’s degree from Columbia University. She lives in Washington with her husband, Carl Leubsdorf. They have two sons, Ben and Will.

Salad:

Mixed greens, frisee, mandarin oranges, jicama, tomatoes, herb vinaigrette 

Main:

Grilled herb marinated chicken breast, saffron scallion couscous, peppers and zucchini saute

Dessert:

Dark chocolate mousse bag

 

*Indicate any dietary restrictions while purchasing your ticket*