About Us: History
Shortly after President Truman left for Independence on January 20, 1953, his friends and former White House Staff suddenlyrealized they were "out but happy". Above all they wanted to continue their social and political relationships with fellow Democrats.
A group headed by Charlie Murphy, Don Dawson, David Lloyd, Martin Freedman and David Stowe, began assembling names and phone numbers. The Woman's National Democratic Club permitted this loyal corps of Democrats to meet in their club for a monthly luncheon. They called themselves the "Out But Happy Club".
Shortly afterwards, they were incorporated as the "National Capitol Democratic Club" and moved to the Hamilton Hotel Coffee Shop at 14th and K Streets, N.W. which became a "private" club. As interest and membership grew, the club moved on January 31, 1957 to the Carlton Starlight Room. The fashionable dance floor and it's starlit ceiling was thronged once again with Democrats through the Kennedy and Johnson years. In addition, the hotel ballroom was available for banquets (Both former President Truman and Vice President Lyndon Johnson were among those honored there).
But alas, we lost our lease in the Carlton and then took up quarters in the Watergate Hotel Restaurant which also provided health club facilities.
But the Demands of the membership were growing and larger quarters were needed. The huge Crystal Room of the Willard Hotel was the answer. It's elegance and warmth will always be remembered. The Willard closed in 19xx, the last time that our Club would be downtown, because we moved to the Dodge Hotel on Capitol Hill near the Senate Office Buildings; and the Club has been on the Hill ever since.
In order to serve the other side of the Congress to better advantage, a well remembered bar and grill with a private dining room was opened in the Congressional Hotel across from the Cannon and Longworth House Office Buildings.
When the House of Representatives acquired the Congressional Hotel, the Club took over the hotel dining room, kitchen and another small dining room for private parties "The Filibuster Room". The entire layout was redecorated and refurnished with $100,000 still remaining in the treasury. It was while in these hallowed halls of memory, the Club's name was changed to the National Democratic Club.
Subsequently, the Club acquired it's own building in the purchase of the justly famous Rotunda Restaurant on Capitol Hill, which was remodeled to serve a large membership with the most modern facilities. The old warehouse finally began to come apart, leaking roof, faulty heating and cooling systems rusting from age, and operational difficulties too numerous to detail. The doors were closed October 1984 to shine up the old rafters. After more than a normal share of construction, architectural, and steel problems, we finally reopened the door on March 6 1986 to our beautiful club for Democrats with a glittering gala attended by a capacity crowd of over 500 Democrats.
Sadly, the gains made dissipated when the Democrats lost control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 and over 1,000 people resigned their Club membership. In due time the Club was forced to sell its three-story building while retaining the first floor under a long-term lease. Then came the Renaissance. In 2004 and into 2005, the Club made numerous changes including the unveiling of the best cuisine on Capitol Hill and the expansion into a neighboring Townhouse at 40 Ivy Street to serve as a venue for catered events and the Club's administrative offices. Once again, the place to be is your NDC. We will prosper in the traditional happy spirit of our party, partaking of good food and companionship as we extend a warm welcome to all Democrats for partisan fraternity.
