NPC in History: Now that’s entertainment

The National Press Club has attracted big name entertainers to perform at social events throughout its history. Buffalo Bill Cody attended the inaugural party in May, 1908. Nat King Cole, Carol Channing, the incomparable Louis Armstrong. Humorist –- and newspaper columnist -- Will Rogers was so pleased with the reception he got that he joined the Club. In the 1950s, actor Gordon MacRae rode a horse -– yes, a live horse -– into what is now the Holeman Lounge.

But what may come close to topping the list was the entertainment lineup for President’s Black Tie Ball on Nov. 21, 1959. Leading the bill was the legendary comedian of radio and television, Jack Benny. Among his comedy routines was his insistence on playing the violin. Before he started up his rendition of “The Missouri Waltz,” Benny called on Vice President Richard Nixon to accompany him on the piano.

“The Missouri Waltz” was usually associated with former President Harry Truman, who was from Missouri and an accomplished piano player. As Nixon, who also was an accomplished piano player, came forward to play, Benny quipped that after Truman made a guest appearance on his TV show, Nixon had demanded equal time. “And he’s going to get it, here, tonight.”

Benny wasn’t the only star appearing that evening.

Violin virtuoso Isaac Stern thrilled the audience with several demanding numbers, according to the Club’s newsletter, and then played a duet with Benny. Two opera stars, Robert Merrill and Delores Wilson, rounded out the bill.

At the end of the program, the American Composers Alliance gave Benny an award for “distinguished service to music in America.”

In accepting the award, Benny, who was not known for his outstanding musical ability, said giving him this award was like giving glamorous actress Zsa Zsa Gabor an award for good housekeeping.

This is another in a series provided by Club historian Gil Klein. Dig down anywhere in the Club’s 110-year history, and you will find some kind of significant event in the history of the world, the nation, Washington, journalism and the Club itself. Many of these events were caught in illustrations that tell the stories.