A social and professional club for working journalists and allied crafts. Its attractive quarters are across from the in the lower level of 150 West Market Street. Featuring the Ernie Pyle Dining Room and a room equipped for news conferences, the facility’s walls display historic newspaper headlines and other mementos that constitute a “living museum of journalism.”
The organization was founded on April 10, 1934, in the pre-radio and television days when the word “press” referred only to the newspaper profession and to men and not women. Over the years since it has not only embraced both broadcasters and women journalists but elected them to leadership positions. Its 1992 membership of nearly 800 persons included a variety of practitioners in the communications arts, public officials, and other individuals deemed “assets” to the club.
On its 1934 incorporation, the club’s objectives were stated as: “To promote the social enjoyment and fellowship among its members, and to encourage and foster the ethical standards of the newspaper profession.” Its first president was , then a political reporter for the . It was 1967 when its first broadcaster president was named, James R. Hetherington of WFBM-TV. The first woman president was of United Press International, who served in 1976.
Over the years the club has been a meeting place for both the newsmaker and the news reporter. Governors, mayors, legislators, political party chairmen—all appear at the club. Especially during the January-to-April months when the General Assembly is in session, the club is alive with activity. Its main social event is the Gridiron Dinner at which public officials are roasted. Activities also include the annual “Last Row Party,” numerous other parties, and monthly speeches by public figures.
The club’s educational services include scholarship grants to college journalism students and awards to promising writers who are chosen in the annual feature writing competition. Its affairs are overseen by a 16-member Board of Governors and administered by a full-time executive director.
*Note: This entry is from the original print edition of the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (1994). We are currently seeking an individual with knowledge of this topic to update this entry.
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