Time capsule sealed in 1985, holds Club video for future civilizations

This Week In National Press Club History

July 19, 1985: In a ceremony conducted by National Press Club and Building officials, mementos reflecting slices of journalistic history are sealed in two time capsules and placed behind the cornerstones of the National Press Building. Contents include a video documentary created for the time capsules by Club member Patrick McGrath. One box holds artifacts from the 1926 capsule, inadvertently opened in 1967 by workers during a renovation project; the other include mementos portraying the building, the Club and Washington journalism since 1926.

July 20, 2009: Club President Donna Leinwand issues a statement noting the death of Walter Cronkite, National Press Club member since 1948, and winner of the Club’s first Fourth Estate Award in l973. “From his coverage of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II to his long tenure as anchor of CBS News, he represented the best of American journalism,” Leinwand said.

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 displays, events, panel discussions, lectures and the oral history project.

For more information on History and Heritage Committee-related activities, or to join the committee, contact Bill Hickman at [email protected].