Personal Notes

Gail Clapper, a Crestwood Village resident, was featured in the Real Life section of the Frederick News-Post on January 8, 2022. She was interviewed after participating in The National Press Club Raymond Clapper Legacy Event in honor of her grandfather, held at the Press Club on December 3rd of last year. 

Perhaps some Crestwood residents will remember Raymond Clapper (1892-1944), a most respected and esteemed Washington, D.C. political radio newscaster, reporter, WWII war correspondent and columnist who wrote a nationally syndicated column titled "Between You and Me" and who died in a Navy plane crash over the Marshall Islands while covering the Pacific war front. Upon his death, The White House Correspondents Association began annually awarding "The Raymond Clapper Award", the highest honor among journalists. 

Gail organized and cataloged photos, articles, columns, awards, letters and many other interesting Clapper items she inherited upon her father's death. She donated much of the collection to the existing Clapper Archive. The National Press Club received her donation of a two foot high bronze statue of her grandfather, sculpted by Max Kalish and commissioned by W.M Kiplinger in 1944 as part of the "Living Hall of Washington" collection. Gail worked with Knight Kiplinger, The Kiplinger Family Foundation and the National Press Club to place the statue on display and host the Raymond Clapper Legacy Event. Knight and Gail appear in a short documentary film debuted at the event which was professionally produced by the National Press Club in association with the Kiplinger Family Foundation. It tells the story of the career and legacy of Raymond Clapper and incorporates many of the Clapper Archive materials. Gail was interviewed and filmed for this documentary at her home in Crestwood. Knight and Gail provided interesting and informative speeches to the live and virtual audiences at the event and addressed Raymond Clapper's legacy as it relates to journalism today. Gail also donated 4 books written by her grandparents to the National Press Club library during the event. Gail's experience based on her inheritance was totally unexpected. The fascinating personal and unique stories she shared chronicled our nation's history while paying tribute to her grandfather. The event proved to be as interesting as it was educational and the Raymond Clapper documentary film is no less than sensational. 

To read the newspaper article on line please click here.

To view the hour long video of the event honoring Raymond Clapper with speeches by Gail Clapper and Knight Kiplinger on line go to: youtube.com/watch?v=fhtbjjZyQu0

(Gail is the last speaker at the event and the documentary film is shown as part of the event video) 

To view the 18 minute documentary film on the career and legacy of Raymond Clapper on line go to: youtube.com/watch?v=NyuTuoTJoX8

(Gail was filmed in her Crestwood Village home) 

(Posted 1/14/22)