The Original Site For Lobbyists

at The Willard lobby

The English Language Institute/China recently held their 25th Anniversary in Washington, DC, staying at The Willard Hotel.

The hotel has a rich history.

The Willard is a social and political hub. President Lincoln probably stopped by a number of times while president. A few visits can be verified: with Mrs. Lincoln on July 6, 1861, to attend a concert by Meda Blanchard, and his review of troops with General Burnside on April 25, 1864.

In 1861 Willard’s also hosted Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words for The Battle Hymn of the Republic in her hotel room early one morning.

General Tom Thumb and his bride, who visited the Lincolns at the White House, stayed at The Willard in 1863.

In 1864 General Ulysses S. Grant was a hotel guest. In his presidency, he passed thru Willard’s lobby where he coined the term “lobbyists.”

The Original Willard

Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body, in order to ensure that an individual’s or organization’s point of view is represented in the government. A lobbyist is a person who is paid to influence legislation as well as public opinion. A more tactful description might be said to be someone who is engaged in public affairs.

Wikipedia.

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Thank you (foot)notes:

The English Language Institute/China began in 1979 at the start of normalization of relations between the People’s Republic of China and the USA. The PRC’s move to modernization and market reform created demand for English language skills. The first teachers were sent to China in 1982 for the purpose of teaching English, building friendships, offering instruction on the teachings of Jesus Christ to university students and faculty.