by Erin Lamb
Special Projects Writer

No place in the country sprang into action more quickly than the GW campus after President Ronald Reagan was shot March 30, 1981. Reagan, Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy J. McCarthy and Metropolitan Police officer Thomas J. McCarthy were immediately rushed to GW Hospital, making Foggy Bottom the center of activity for the duration of the presidentıs hospital stay.

The Hatchet put out a special edition the next day, detailing how a veritable media circus surrounded the campus. Room 101 in Ross Hall served as headquarters for the huge press corps, even sustaining roof damage from television cables. The Hatchet quoted Robert Burch, director of the GW Physical Plant, as saying, ³Weıve had floods, hurricanes, but nothing like this. I canıt think of any similar situation requiring so many people performing this type of work of quickly." He also told The Hatchet that preparing the room for the "media onslaught" required three electricians, two carpenters, two plumbers, five housekeepers, 10 workmen from a telephone company and several outside electricians.

According to The Hatchet, a lack of available telephones sent media personnel "scurrying through Ross Hall and around the GW campus in search of working telephones." WRGW particularly stepped up.

"Stations were calling us like mad even before the networks set up. We had 20 to 30 calls every five minutes," said station manager Jon Sandes.

GW security guards were forced to take what The Hatchet termed "precautionary measures" when too many media trucks gathered around the area outside GW Hospital. Fearing a possible collapse of the concrete above the Metro station, GW ordered the major media organizations to remove their trucks from the area.

Inside Ross Hall, The Hatchet reported that none other than veteran ABC correspondent Sam Donaldson "became boisterous when he could not get his camera crew into the briefing room. According to a GW security guard, a group of students was still in the room and could not get out because of the large crowd of reporters outside the room. Donaldson began issuing orders, the security guard said, and then told his cameraman to 'roll those cameras ­ roll those cameras!' in an apparent attempt to film the people obstructing him."

The media room also became a center for rumors, including one stating that James Brady had died. CBS anchor Dan Rather, reporting live, asked for a moment of silence, leading the White House to issue a statement that Brady was still alive.

Brady's injuries were the most severe of the four men brought to the hospital. A bullet passed through his brain and exited on the opposite side. He underwent five hours of brain surgery at the GW Hospital and was left permanently paralyzed. Reagan walked into the hospital under his own power, but seconds later fell into GW medical student Pete Gianas, who helped Secret Service agents bring Reagan into the examination room.

Released from the hospital 12 days later, Reagan made a full recovery, bringing an end to GW Hospitalıs run in the presidential spotlight in the spring of 1981.