American Legion issues permanent charter to Club, 1923

This Week In National Press Club History

September 1,1923: The American Legion issues a permanent charter to the National Press Club, known as the American Legion Post 20, a veterans organization founded in 1919. One of the original members of the Post was Gen. John J . Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I and a member of the Club, which had been home to Post 20 since 1919. In his honor, the Post originally was nicknamed the "Pershing Post” and the “Black Jack Post.”

This Week In National Press Club History is brought to you by the History & Heritage Committee, which is dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the Club’s history through displays, panel discussion, lectures and events, as well as the oral history project.

For more information about the activities of the committee, or to join the committee, contact Bill Hickman at [email protected]

Compiled by Elizabeth Smith Brownstein with help from Art Wiese and Gil Klein.