Thomas Burr, President of the National Press Club on the passing of Gwen Ifill

 Thomas Burr, President of the National Press Club on the passing of Gwen Ifill:

"Today is a sad day for journalism and for the Washington journalism community. We have lost a leader in our profession and a good friend, Gwen Ifill.

On Oct. 15, 2015, The National Press Club recognized Gwen as our 2015 recipient of the Fourth Estate Award – the Club's highest honor. Walter Cronkite, David Broder, Bob Woodward, Russell Baker and Mary McGrory all received this award previously. We consider Gwen right at home among those great names.

But on that night -- as on every occasion that she visited the National Press Club to conduct an interview, sit on a panel or cover a news conference -- it was Gwen who honored us with her professionalism, her wit and her warmth. She had the presence of an anchorwoman and the soul of a reporter. Gwen was the rare person who achieved equally great success writing for newspapers as she did in front of a TV camera. And perhaps her greatest achievement was that among her colleagues, peers, competitors, sources, viewers and the many reporters she mentored, she was so well loved and so fully respected. She will be missed."

The National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. Founded in 1908, the Club has more than 3,100 members worldwide.         

Written by the National Press Club