This week in National Press Club history
May 18, 1956: President Sukarno of Indonesia defends the postwar rise of nationalist movements in Asia and Africa, and reminds a Club luncheon of his leadership in Indonesia’s struggle against Dutch colonial rule, which resulted in independence in 1945 after a nearly 20-year effort.
May 19, 2010: Ten former Club presidents and many nostalgic Club members gather to celebrate the rededication of the National Press Building and the renovated Club 25 years ago. Art Wiese, 1979 president, reveals how he picked out the names of the rooms in the new Club, decided on color schemes, and declared that TGIF now means, “Thank God it’s finished.” David Hess, 1985 president, speaks about the building as an historic site in journalism recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists as a champion of the public’s “right to know.”
May 21, 1958: Vice President Richard M. Nixon discusses his recent diplomatic trip to South American on behalf of the Eisenhower Administration at a Club luncheon. Among the head table guests is Senator John F. Kennedy. a member of the congressional delegation accompanying the vice president.
May 22, 1963: At a luncheon, Michigan Gov. George Romney promotes the economic interests of his state, including the thriving automotive industry, from his perspective as former chairman and president of the American Motors Corporation.
May 23, 2000: Texas Gov. George W. Bush holds a press conference in the Club ballroom, accompanied by his senior foreign affairs advisers, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell,
former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Over 200 members of the press cover the event.
This Week In National Press Club History is sponsored by the History & Heritage Committee, which preserves and revitalizes the Club’s century-plus history with lobby displays, panel discussions, special events, and an oral history project. For more information about the Committee or to join it, contact Chair Gil Klein at [email protected].