Joe Motheral tells stories about 'Northern Virginia Luminaries' to the National Press Club

Joe Motheral spoke at the National Press Club about his book Northern Virginia Luminaries on Thursday, Nov. 16. 

The book is a collection of pieces he wrote for various publications over the 25 years he has lived in northern Virginia, Motheral said. Luminaries contains stories about 27 people who live or lived in northern Virginia, he said. There are many other notable people who have resided in northern Virginia who he has never had the opportunity to talk with them, he added.

Speaking about General George C. Marshall, Motheral said, “His speech at Harvard on June 5, 1947, which proposed the European recovery program, was made without consultation with President (Harry S.) Truman.  I was told by Marshall scholar Rachel Thompson that he did this so that the president would not be blamed if it went awry.”

About former NFL player Darrell Green, Motheral spoke about Green’s Youth Life Foundation which operates learning centers for underprivileged kids.  Motheral told the story of his interview with Green. Motheral contacted Green’s publicist, and she invited him to Redskin’s Park for an interview.  He drove out to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland but no one knew where Green was. He called the publicist, who told him Green was at Redskins Park in Ashburn, but “I can’t guarantee he will still be there”. After racing to Redskin’s Park, which is only 10 minutes from where he lives, he found Green seated in chair waiting. Motheral said Green was “very nice and accommodating”. 

Motheral spoke at length about Russell Baker, who he wrote three articles about. He related that his relationship with Baker began with Eeda and Alfred Dennis, who retired from the State Department and started selling real estate. They sold a house to the Bakers. When Motheral went with the Dennis’s to a fundraiser for fire fighters, he met Mimi and Russell Baker. Talking with Mimi he mentioned he was looking for a carpenter to build a fireplace. Mimi gave him their phone number and asked him to call the next day and she would give him a name to contact. When he called the next day, he got a name and asked Mimi if Russell might like to join him for lunch someday. She responded that yes, Russell needs to get out of the house. That started 15 years of weekly lunches with Alfred Dennis, Russell Baker, and Jack Wilson, and with Keith Wauchope after Jack Wilson passed away. 

Members of the audience included two past Club presidents and one of the luminaries profiled in the book.  The event was organized by the Member-Author Group. Naomi Weiss, a member of the Member Author Group, introduced Joe Motheral.

Motheral joined the Club in 1999 and was, for many years, chair of the Club’s Book and Author Committee.