Syracuse Press Club
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The Syracuse Press Club, based in
Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
, serves as a 21-county area of
central New York Central New York is the central region of New York State, including the following counties and cities: With a population of about 773,606 (2009) and an area of , the region includes the Syracuse metropolitan area. Definitions The New York ...
. The club is made up of journalists and communications specialists from throughout the Central New York region. The organization is for those who work in print, broadcast, or Internet journalism. The press club is also open to those who work in communications or public relations for corporations, government, or not-for-profit organizations. It is governed by a board of directors, which is elected by its membership on a yearly basis.


Club history

In mid-April 1951, members of the Syracuse Chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, the journalism honorary, met at the former Merchants Bank on South Warren Street. But because only four had shown up, they immediately adjourned to the Waldorf Cafeteria less than a block away. Over coffee, Gene Cowen and Joe Porcello of the Herald-Journal, Ned Ryan, a television photographer, and Morgan Redmore, a former newsman then doing public relations for Solvay Process Company (Allied Chemical), discussed the principal problem of the Syracuse SDX chapter. The problem was what to do about a dispute with national headquarters over a bill for convention expenses which the local chapter maintained it did not owe. Almost simultaneously, Cowen and Redmore suggested the same solution: "Why don't we just tell National we quit, and start our own organization - a press club?" The Syracuse Press Club was born at that instant. For many years, the SPC maintained club rooms at the Hotel Onondaga, then at Midtown Plaza, and later at the Hotel Syracuse, where members could socialize and share a few drinks. Those days, unfortunately, are long gone, due in part to economic pressures and the changing nature of the media industry. The Syracuse Press Club was incorporated July 29, 1954 (although one document shows an Aug. 4, 1954 date). On April 27 of that year, papers were requested from the state Board of Standards and Appeals and filed on July 16. The document was signed by SPC President Richard A. Page, and board members Oley Sheremeta, Collin B. Weschke, Joseph K. Kensin, and Karel (Bud) Vanderveer. The attorney for the club was Maurice H. Sharp.


Notable Guest Speakers

Over the years, the club held a number of successful dinners, luncheons and other affairs. One of the club's most renowned speakers was Vice President Richard M. Nixon, who spoke at a 1960 dinner at the Hotel Syracuse, attracting a capacity crowd of 722. Other nationally-known speakers included Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, Governors
Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...
and W. Averell Harriman, Senators
Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
and
Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...
,
Rudolph Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
, and newsmen
Bill Moyers Bill Moyers (born Billy Don Moyers, June 5, 1934) is an American journalist and political commentator. Under the Johnson administration he served from 1965 to 1967 as the eleventh White House Press Secretary. He was a director of the Counci ...
, Richard Valleriani, and Ford Rowan.


Annual Events

The Club holds its annual Scholarship and Professional Recognition Awards dinner every May. The Club bestows dozens of awards to print, broadcast and new media journalists for stories and events they covered the previous year. The Club also awards a scholarship to a promising journalism student residing in central New York.


Wall of Distinction

The Wall of Distinction is where outstanding journalists in Central New York are permanently enshrined. The Syracuse Press Club's Wall of Distinction is located in the theater lobby of the John H. Mulroy Civic Center in downtown Syracuse. Over 60 legendary journalists make up the Wall. With help from Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro, the Wall was placed in the Civic Center building. The first group of inductees was installed on Dec. 4, 2000, formally kicking off the Syracuse Press Club's 50th anniversary observance. In addition to plaques honoring inductees, there is a large plaque commemorating the SPC's 50th anniversary listing the names of the Club's presidents from 1951 to 2001.


List of Club Presidents

*Current:.....Katrina Tulloch (Post-Standard) *1951/52......Joseph V. Ganley* (Herald-Journal) *1953.........Edward B. Griffin* (Herald-Journal) *1954.........Richard A. Page* (WFBL) *1955.........Robert M. Hofmann* (Herald-Journal) *1956.........Claude (Red) Parton (WSYR) *1957.........Howard J. Carroll (Herald-Journal) *1958.........Donald C. Fradenburgh (Herald-Journal) *1958.........Paul H. Strom* (Post-Standard) *1959.........Frederick Hillegas* (WSYR) *1960.........Richard J. Hanlon *1961.........Joseph A. Porcello (Herald-Journal) *1962.........John N. Whitney* (Post-Standard) *1963.........Claude (Red) Parton (WNDR) *1964.........William D. Cotter (Herald-Journal) *1965.........Don Edwards (WSYR) *1966.........Glenn Williams* (WNDR) *1967.........Selwyn Kershaw* (Herald-Journal) *1968.........Leroy Natanson (Post-Standard) *1969.........Art Peterson (WFBL) *1970.........Philip Hofmann* (Herald-Journal) *1971.........Robert Visser* (WNYS) *1972.........Harold Addington* (Herald-Journal) *1973.........Jules Coleman (WFBL) *1974.........Robert Greabell* (Herald-Journal) *1975.........A. Brohmann Roth* (Herald-Journal) *1976.........Rod Wood (WHEN) *1977.........Peter B. Volmes (Post-Standard) *1978.........William Crozier (Herald-Journal) *1979.........Dick Mastriano (WNDR) *1980.........Dexter Blake (WIXT) *1981.........James Woolsey* (Post-Standard) *1982.........Evelyn Clayton (Herald-Journal) *1983.........Ron Hastings (WSYR) *1984.........Scott Atkinson (WTVH) *1985.........James Woolsey* (Post-Standard) *1986.........Andy Brigham (WIXT) *1987.........Stan Linhorst (Herald-Journal/Post-Standard) *1988/89......Jeff Scheidecker* (WIXT) *1990.........Vince Golphin (Herald-Journal) *1991/92......Nancy Duffy* (WIXT) *1993.........Walt Shepperd (New Times) *1993/94......Walter Grunfeld* (Marathon Printing) *1995/96......Ken Jackson (Constitution/Urban CNY) *1997/98......Jeff Paston (WSTM) *1999.........Tracy Carman (Eagle Newspapers) *2000/01......Chris Weidman (WSYR) *2002/03......Matt Mulcahy (WTVH) *2004.........Evelyn Clayton (Post-Standard) *2005.........David Tyler (Eagle Newspapers) *2006.........Chris Weidman (WSYR) *2007.........Lou Gulino (WSTM) *2012.........Robert Baker (Post-Standard) *2013-2019....Josh Cradduck (Spectrum News) *2019-2022....Katrina Tulloch (Post-Standard)


References

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External links


Syracuse Press Club
Press Club Organizations A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press ...
Organizations based in Syracuse, New York American press clubs