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July 10, 2007

MEDIA CONTACT: Tracy Schario

(202) 994-3566; tschario@gwu.edu

 

 

GW President-Elect Steven Knapp Selects Historic 1925 F StREET Residence As the New Home for GW's President and His Family; Knapp Will Be First President To Live on GW's Foggy Bottom Campus

 

University to Renovate Former F Street Club and Restore Its Use as a Residence and Center for Leadership Dialogues on National and Global Issues

 

 

WASHINGTON - Dr. Steven Knapp, who will become the 16th president of The George Washington University on August 1, 2007, has announced plans to reside on GW's Foggy Bottom Campus in the structure that formerly housed the historic F Street Club, which welcomed as members and visitors U.S. presidents, policymakers, journalists, and others in Washington's intellectual community over the course of the 20th century. In announcing his plans, Knapp expressed his desire to be an integral part of campus life and the Foggy Bottom community and to restore the building's reputation as a meeting place for important dialogue.

 

"I have a strong interest in living on campus to gain a full appreciation for how the residents of the community -- students, neighbors, business and government employees, and others -- relate to one another," said Knapp. "We also look forward to re-establishing 1925 F Street as a venue for discussions on issues of importance ranging from global warming and health care to social security and the presidential election. Our conversations will include local, national, and international leaders, GW faculty and students, and members of the Foggy Bottom community."

 

Knapp will be the first GW president to reside on the Foggy Bottom Campus. GW relocated to Foggy Bottom in 1912. Since that time, its presidents had resided primarily in the Dupont Circle and Kalorama neighborhoods.

 

The residence at 1925 F Street, NW, has most recently served as GW?s Alumni House. It is designated as a D.C. Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The University's renovation plans are in development and will be presented to the District of Columbia Commission on Fine Arts and Historic Preservation Office for review and approval.

 

Built in 1849 for U.S. Navy Captain Charles Steedman, the house was used as a private residence until 1933. From 1923 until 1933, Mrs. Laura Curtis, known as the "uncrowned queen of the Republican Party," held many luncheons and dinners at the house for Washington"s elite. During the Depression and the height of Prohibition, Curtis turned the parlor level into a club ("the Curtis Club") and began charging a membership fee.  In 1933, Curtis turned the club operations over to a management company, which renamed it the "F Street Club," a members-only dinner and social club.

 

The Washington Star reported in 1938, "... members feel that the 1925 F Street Club is just about as permanent as the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin every spring." Discussions ranging from the founding of NATO to ownership of the Panama Canal and from campaign strategy sessions to negotiating career moves occurred at the club.  Events, such as an inaugural party for Richard Nixon and a cocktail party for Jackie Kennedy, also were held at there.

 

GW purchased the building in 1974 and leased it to the F Street Club through 1999, when it was converted to offices and renamed Alumni House. Since 1974 Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have all attended events at the F Street Club. President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan hosted a candlelight dinner party to introduce themselves to Washington Society in 1980 before taking up residence at the White House just a few blocks away.

 

The University plans to sell the current president's residence on Bancroft Place and return the proceeds from the sale to the University's endowment. GW plans to renovate the 1925 F Street structure preserving its historic character and in compliance with its designation as an historic landmark. Also, attention will be given to incorporating energy efficient measures that are consistent with historic preservation standards. During the planned renovation of 1925 F St., Knapp and his wife Diane will live in an apartment a few blocks from GW in the West End neighborhood.

 

The 1925 F Street building currently houses approximately 15 alumni relations staff, who will be relocated to the University Club across the street. This change in use of the University Club also will provide space for student activities on the first floor.

 

            GW will host a community meeting at 1925 F Street on July 17, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss plans for the renovation.  The renovation concepts have been submitted to D.C.'s Commission on Fine Arts for review at its meeting on July 19.

 

            Located four blocks from the White House, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the nation's capital. The University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business, and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.

 

For more information about GW, please visit www.gwnewscenter.org.

 

-GW-