Alfalfa Club
Encyclopedia
The Alfalfa Club is a Washington, D.C.
social organization
that exists only to hold an annual banquet on the last Saturday of January. The club's membership, which numbers about 200, is composed primarily of American politicians and influential members of the United States
business community, and has included several Presidents of the United States. The group's name is a reference to the plant's supposed willingness to do anything for a drink.
The president is usually asked to deliver remarks at the dinner. President George W. Bush
spoke at the Alfalfa Dinner each year of his presidency; the Alfalfa Club was one of only three clubs that his father, George H. W. Bush
, was a member of as president.
after being nominated, including Richard Nixon
in 1965 (elected in 1968), Ronald Reagan
in 1974 (elected in 1980), and George W. Bush in 1998 (elected in 2000). In 1969, they nominated Harold Stassen
. In 2004, the Club nominated the former president of the Motion Picture Association of America
, Jack Valenti
. Its 2000 nomination was Australian-born James Wolfensohn
, constitutionally ineligible for election to the U.S. presidency. In 2001, the presidential nomination went to John McCain
.
Civil War
General Robert E. Lee
; it didn't admit blacks until 1974, and women until 1994. In 2009, President Barack Obama
spoke at the club's annual dinner, saying "this dinner began almost one hundred years ago as a way to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee
. If he were here with us tonight, the General would be 202 years old. And very confused."
In addition to its January dinner in Washington, the club used to have an annual summer picnic.
In 1986, William H. Rehnquist's membership in the club became the subject of discussion in a Senate Judiciary hearing after Rehnquist was nominated to be Chief Justice. He described the club as one that "met once a year to listen to patriotic music and 'hear some funny political speeches'" and said "he did not think his membership in such a once-a-year group violated the canons of judicial ethics."
In 1994, the club admitted its first women members—Sandra Day O'Connor
, Elizabeth Dole
, Katharine Graham
(whose father
had also been a member)—in response to a 1993 boycott by President Bill Clinton
. Clinton's boycott had been the first by a U.S. president since Jimmy Carter
.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
social organization
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
that exists only to hold an annual banquet on the last Saturday of January. The club's membership, which numbers about 200, is composed primarily of American politicians and influential members of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
business community, and has included several Presidents of the United States. The group's name is a reference to the plant's supposed willingness to do anything for a drink.
The president is usually asked to deliver remarks at the dinner. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
spoke at the Alfalfa Dinner each year of his presidency; the Alfalfa Club was one of only three clubs that his father, George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, was a member of as president.
Annual presidential nomination
One of the evening's activities includes the playful nomination of a presidential candidate by the Club's leadership. The candidate is then required to make a speech. Several such candidates went on to hold the actual presidencyPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
after being nominated, including Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
in 1965 (elected in 1968), Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in 1974 (elected in 1980), and George W. Bush in 1998 (elected in 2000). In 1969, they nominated Harold Stassen
Harold Stassen
Harold Edward Stassen was the 25th Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943. After service in World War II, from 1948 to 1953 he was president of the University of Pennsylvania...
. In 2004, the Club nominated the former president of the Motion Picture Association of America
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
, Jack Valenti
Jack Valenti
Jack Joseph Valenti was a long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America. During his 38-year tenure in the MPAA, he created the MPAA film rating system, and he was generally regarded as one of the most influential pro-copyright lobbyists in the world...
. Its 2000 nomination was Australian-born James Wolfensohn
James Wolfensohn
Sir James David Wolfensohn AO KBE FKC was the ninth president of the World Bank Group.-Early life:James Wolfensohn was born in Sydney, Australia, on 1 December 1933...
, constitutionally ineligible for election to the U.S. presidency. In 2001, the presidential nomination went to John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
.
History
The club was founded in 1913 and its function was to celebrate the birthday of ConfederateConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
; it didn't admit blacks until 1974, and women until 1994. In 2009, President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
spoke at the club's annual dinner, saying "this dinner began almost one hundred years ago as a way to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
. If he were here with us tonight, the General would be 202 years old. And very confused."
In addition to its January dinner in Washington, the club used to have an annual summer picnic.
In 1986, William H. Rehnquist's membership in the club became the subject of discussion in a Senate Judiciary hearing after Rehnquist was nominated to be Chief Justice. He described the club as one that "met once a year to listen to patriotic music and 'hear some funny political speeches'" and said "he did not think his membership in such a once-a-year group violated the canons of judicial ethics."
In 1994, the club admitted its first women members—Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
, Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
, Katharine Graham
Katharine Graham
Katharine Meyer Graham was an American publisher. She led her family's newspaper, The Washington Post, for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period, the Watergate coverage that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon...
(whose father
Eugene Meyer
Eugene Isaac Meyer was an American financier, public official, publisher of the Washington Post newspaper. He served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1930 to 1933. He was the father of publisher Katharine Graham.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, he was one of eight children of...
had also been a member)—in response to a 1993 boycott by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Clinton's boycott had been the first by a U.S. president since Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
.