Alfalfa Club

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The Alfalfa Club is an exclusive Washington, D.C. social organization, founded in 1913. The Club exists only to hold an annual banquet honoring the birthday of Civil War General Robert E. Lee. 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. Each member is permitted to bring two guests to the annual $200-a-plate dinner, held each year in January.

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.[1]

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. Interestingly, several such candidates went on to hold the actual presidency 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 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.