Former Club President Gil Klein tells tales from the NPC history vault on June 15

Hear 30 years of National Press Club history as former President Gil Klein talks about what he's learned in three decades.

The event takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 15, in the Cosgrove Lounge. The event is free for members and their guests. Drink specials and complimentary appetizers will be available. To make sure we have enough room, everyone coming should please reserve by clicking here.

In the Club's 109 years, historic events and whacky hijinks have happened all the time. Every president and presidential wannabe has a story here. Champions for every social and political movement have made their case here. Every war, every international turmoil, every peace process, and every policy initiative has been examined and played out here.

Many movie stars, television personalities and star athletes have had their moments at the Club, including the iconic photgraph of Lauren Bacall sitting atop the Club piano as then-Vice President Harry S. Truman played. Every nuanced change in journalism is studied here. Every cry for help for freedom of the press is answered here.

Klein will present dozens of photographs culled from the Club’s archives to show how it has been a part of American history, journalism history and Washington history for nearly 11 decades. The event is co-sponsored by the Young Members, Events and History and Heritage committees.

One of the photos to be show is that of President-elect Franklin Roosevelt and Vice President-elect John Nance Garner, with 1932 Club President Bascom Timmons, just before a dinner in November that year for the incoming president. After the dinner, members decided that they should launch a regular series of luncheon speakers, an event that survives to this day as the Club's showcase program.