Summer 2009
‘Honky Tonk’ sets new high mark for D.C. Pro honor dinner
This year’s D.C. Pro Hall of Fame induction dinner ended on the liveliest of notes — CBS News 
anchor Bob Schieffer singing with his bluegrass band, Honky Tonk Confidential.
About 215 people attended the dinner, which was held at the National Press Club.
This year’s Hall of Fame induction class was:
Schieffer, the chief Washington correspondent for CBS News. He was introduced by Paul Byers, a former CBS news producer.
Gwen Ifill, 
the moderator of PBS’ "Washington Week," who was introduced by Michele Norris of NPR’s "All Things Considered"
Toby McIntosh, the director of editorial quality review for BNA. Gregory McCaffery, BNA’s president, introduced him.
Kenneth T. Walsh, the chief White House correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, who was introduced by Marlin Fitzwater, a press secretary for presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
A Distinguished Service Award went to Courtland Milloy, a columnist for The Washington Post. He was introduced by fellow Post columnist Eugene Robinson, a 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for commentary.
Also at the dinner, the chapter gave out this year’s 2008 Dateline Awards for editorial excellence.
The Robert D.G. Lewis Watchdog Award, which includes a $1,000 prize, went to Brooke Lea Foster and Cindy Rich of Washingtonian.
The June 9 dinner came one week after the death of Terry Harper, SPJ’s executive director for seven years. An empty place was set at the head table for Terry. As board member Bill McCloskey pointed out, Terry liked to attend our dinner and wear a tuxedo.
In accepting his Distinguished Service Award, Milloy directed praise to those barely 
getting by in Washington. "We have an invisible population of people who are struggling against all odds to make it, to achieve some modicum of dignity and self-respect, and all too often, they are forgotten about," he said.
Milloy said the SPJ award will remind him "that part of the job is to go out there and find these people and write about them and their struggles."
With one-liners and dry wit, Fitzwater drew some of the evening’s biggest laughs.
He said Walsh watched White House Correspondents’ Association dinners go from Al Franken t
o Pamela Anderson — "boob to boob" — in two decades.
Walsh, who wrote four books on presidents, broke the story that George H.W. Bush didn’t eat broccoli, Fitzwater quipped. His next book, about Michelle Obama’s sleeves, will be called "Off the Cuff," Fitzwater said.
In accepting his induction, Schieffer recalled the "weirdest and wildest and most unbelievable" story he has covered.
While working at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Texas, Schieffer answered the phone on Nov. 22, 1963, and heard a woman ask if she could get a ride to Dallas.
"Well, lady, we don’t run a taxi service here," Schieffer recalled saying. "And, besides, the president has been shot."
"Yes," the woman replied, "I just heard it on the radio. I think my son is the one they have arrested."
Schieffer continued: "I said, ‘Forget what I said about the taxi. Give me the address; I’ll get you. When you hang up, if the phone rings, in the interest of national security, don’t answer.’"
Schieffer said he was at the police station in Dallas for four hours with Lee Harvey Oswald
‘s mother before someone thought to ask him what he was doing there. Hearing that he was a reporter, the FBI agent warned him: "’Son, I want to tell you something.’ He said, ‘I want you to leave here right now because,’ he said, ‘if I ever see you again here, I’m going to kill you.’
"I really do believe that he meant it," Schieffer said.
Schieffer and Honky Tonk Confidential wrapped up the evening with newsy-themed music, including "TV Anchorman," a lyrical story of how a man gets to be in the news business.
At a time when some journalism organizations are cutting back or canceling their awards dinners, chapter board members were pleased with the turnout this year. Last year, about 185 people attended.