Art's Club history: Snippet #14 - card carrying US presidents

"Card Carriers: Virtually every president of the United States has been an associate or honorary member of the National Press Club since its founding in 1908. But only one president was professionally qualified to be an active member. He was Warren Harding, former publisher of The Marion Star newspaper in Ohio. While in the White House, Harding voted in Club elections, attended Club events and played poker with reporters on at least one occasion. The National Press Club--where news (and sometimes history) are made in the nation's capital."

This snippet was one of many put together by the late Art Wiese, who served as president in 1979. He was responsible for planning much of the reconstruction of the Club during its renovation in the early 1980s. In his later years, he put together a series of snippets on the Club's history. In honor of his recent passing, the Wire will run one of them each week while they last.
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