Some friends of ours live next to a property owned by the Willard family \u2014 of the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. The other day while watching the news, there was a segment on lobbyists and the conversation got around to the term \u201clobbyist\u201d originating in the Willard Hotel. Claire said that the term\u2019s origin was a well known fact\u2026. well, the \u201cfact\u201d is that I\u2019d never heard it before. But without giving it much thought, it seemed to make some amount of sense to me.
But \u2014 I thought maybe I should do a little extensive research and check it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term \u201clobbyist\u201d in common political speak is someone who solicits the attention of an elected official or government agency in the hope of receiving preferential treatment in legislation, or regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyhow, I found plenty of material to support what Claire said \u2014 the most popular story is that President Ulysses S. Grant would frequent the Willard Hotel to enjoy brandy and a cigar, and while he was there, he\u2019d be hounded by petitioners asking for legislative favors or jobs. It is said that President Grant coined the term by referring to the petitioners as \u201cthose damn lobbyists.\u201d The story has been told and published by the Washington Post, the American Society of News Editors, and most often by the Public Relations Director of the Willard Hotel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is kind of a fun story and I\u2019m sure it\u2019s done a lot to increase visitors and revenue for the Willard Hotel. But \u2014 the story isn\u2019t really true. President Grand did<\/em> visit the Willard Hotel and enjoyed his brandy and a cigar, but he did not<\/em> coin the term \u201clobbyist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The term \u201cto lobby\u201d first appeared in print in the United States in the 1830s. President Grant was in office from 1869-1877. Once again, extensive research ruins a really good story. But that\u2019s one of the good things about history \u2014 it\u2019s full of so many stories to tell, some of which take on a life of their own, even if the facts don\u2019t necessarily back them up. Some friends of ours live next to a property owned by the Willard family \u2014 of the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. The other day while watching the news, there was a segment on lobbyists and the conversation got around … Continue reading
The term is believed to have originated in the British Parliament and referred to the lobbies outside the chambers where a lot of wheeling and dealing took place. \u201cLobbyist\u201d was in common use in Britain in the 1840s. The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that the term was used as early as 1640 in England to describe the lobbies that were open to constituents to interact with their representatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"