This Week In National Press Club History

Jan. 2, 1980: the National Press Club begins its affiliation with the newly formed C-Span cable network with coverage of economist Paul Volcker’s luncheon address.

Jan. 3, 1984: Democratic president candidate Walter Mondale speaks at a luncheon at the Capital Hilton as extensive renovations of the Club ballroom continue. The former Vice President expresses concerns about the threat of nuclear war and the Reagan administration’s freeze in arms negotiations with the Soviet Union.

January 6, 1926: The ornate Ebbitt hotel is torn down to make way for the National Press Building, which on completion was the largest privately owned office building in the nation’s capital. In December 1927, the Club moves into most of the 13th floor and all of the 14th.

January 7, 2014: U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno answers questions after a brief opening statement, and reminds the luncheon audience that just a few years before, the Army had a quarter of a million soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. “It is disappointing to all of us,” he remarks, “ to see the deterioration of security in Iraq.” Cyberdefense is important, he stresses, and the Army is modernizing its cyber command to meet challenges to our systems, financial infrastructure and networks. Sexual assault in the military is a long-term issue that can affect readiness, and the culture must change, he argues.

This Week In National Press Club History is brought to you by the History & Heritage Committee, which preserves and revitalizes the Club’s history through revolving lobby displays, panel discussions, events, and oral histories.

For more information on the Committee’s activities, or to join it, contact Chair Gilbert Klein at [email protected].