Press Blog

The Washington Post headline read:  National Press Club Has a Real Contest For Presidency - First Time in 33 Years.  The author:  Edward T. Folliard, who wrote:

Ordinarily elections at this, the largest and best-known club of its kind in the world, arouse no great excitement - at least where the top offices are concerned.  But this time there is a sizeable battle for the presidency, the first real contest for the No. 1 office in 33 years. Consequently, a large turnout of voters is predicted ...

The date was December 11, 1964, and the candidates for president were Clark R. Mollenhoff (pictured, left) of the Cowles Publications, and William M. (Bill) Blair (pictured, right) of The New York Times.  Mollenhoff was the Club's vice president.  Blair was the secretary.

The big issue of the campaign was what the article called the "escalator system."  This was the process by which a Club member who became elected vice president one year would be "automatically" elected president the next year "without opposition."  In 1963, the year prior, "less than 15 percent of those qualified to cast ballots" turned out to vote in the uncontested elections. In that 1963 election, Mollenhoff was elected vice president to serve in 1964.  And as the December election approached, it was assumed he would announce his candidacy for president, which he did.

But at the last minute, the Post reported that a "revolt" by several members "persuaded [Blair] to run aginst (sic) Mollenhoff. The New York Times announced his candidacy on Dec. 1."  The Bill Blair for President Committee mailed a flyer to all active members urging support for Blair:

Let's get rid of the Russian ballot in the NPC. For the first time in decades you can CHOOSE a president, not just ACCEPT one.  He (Bill Blair) is running out of turn, bucking the escalator system ...

In response, Mollenhoff issued this statement on December 10:

I believe in free, clean election contests at the National Press Club, and have helped stimulate some competition for these offices ... The record will show that my opponent was appointed as secretary and has never been in an election contest.  I have run for election as an independent reporter, I had no organization support when I entered Press Club politics in 1956 ... I am running for president of the National Press Club on the basis of my record.

Other contested elections that year included treasurer and positions on the board of governors.

SO ... why are we NPCers thinking about such things today?  The "escalator system" has been alive and well for years.  But this year, there's a contested race for president with - not two, but - three candidates for president:

• Keith Hill, currently the vice president (more info)
• Theresa Werner, currently the chair of the Board of Governors (more info)
• Tim Young, currently chair of the Young Members Committee (more info)

On Nov. 28 the three candidates met in debate at the Club.  (Click here to watch the debate.)

The battle is intense, the number of absentee ballots that were ordered by last Friday's deadline alone surpassed the number of votes cast in a typical election year.  Voting has been open all this week, by voting in person via absentee ballot.

Friday, December 9, 2011 is National Press Club election day, at the Club.  The results are scheduled to be announced that night.

Members who haven't voted yet should visit the members section of the National Press Club website for voting details, or just show up at the Club on Friday and vote.