Miriam Bamberger
Special Projects Writer

Courtesy University Archives U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III speaks to a gathering of national and international media at GW in June 1990. Over 5,000 correspondents were in the Smith Center for the six days.

As Cold War tensions began to ease, President George Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev met in Washington, D.C., in June 1990. Months earlier, the United States Information Agency announced that GW had been chosen as the site of the press center for the summit. From May 30 to June 4, the Smith Center was used as a home base for approximately 5,000 American and foreign correspondents covering the U.S.-Soviet meeting.

University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg articulated GW¹s pride at being the site of the press center.

³We are delighted to host the international media for this historic meeting,² he said. ³As an educational institution long recognized for its public policy, international law and international affairs programs, The George Washington University has traditionally provided opportunities to promote mutual understanding. We see this as a logical extension of that tradition.²

The press was given a daily news briefing by Marlin Fitzwater, the White House press secretary, who was often accompanied by Soviet Press Secretary Arkady Maslennikov.

The D.C. summit was a follow-up to talks held between Bush and Gorbachev in Malta early in the year. Issues discussed by the two leaders included agreements about trade, chemical weapons destruction, nuclear testing protocols and a cultural centers among others.

Both men were optimistic about improving relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.

³Perestroika is also a contribution to building a new world, for we are searching for answers to the questions that confront in one way or another with greater or lesser intensity all nations and, indeed, all mankind,² Gorbachev said in a toast at a dinner he hosted while in D.C.

Bush took a more direct approach when commenting on the success of the summit.

³In closing, let me say how productive I really feel the last few days have been. President Gorbachev and I have agreed to meet on a regular basis, perhaps annually. Both of us would like to think that we can get together more often with less formality because, you see, we¹re now at a stage in the U.S.-Soviet relationship, and indeed in world history, where we should miss no opportunity to complete the extraordinary tasks before us,² he said.

To prepare for the event, new amenities were added to the Smith Center. A platform was constructed in the center of the basketball court to hold camera equipment for news broadcasts, where extra electricity was needed to run the cameras. Two hundred circuits were installed, as well as 500 outlets for computers, fax machines and other necessary technology. In addition, 1,150 phone lines were installed, allowing the reporters to make an estimated 3,000 international calls each day.

The University made a personal effort to assist in the temporary transformation of the Smith Center. Student volunteers set up booths, including information areas and a food service station for the reporters. Some students even acted as messengers for the journalists trying to meet deadlines. In the University bookstore, students ran a ³Summit Minimart,² providing emergency items such as medicine for the staff. To show the University¹s support of the event, journalists were offered free T-shirts made especially for the occasion ­ the GW logo on one side and the summit logo on the other.

In his official welcome to the press, Trachtenberg emphasized the University¹s willingness to participate.

³As you prepare to cover this most important summit meeting between Presidents Bush and Gorbachev, we of The George Washington University are working overtime to see to it that your needs are anticipated and attended to,² he said.

After the hectic five-day summit, the Smith Center returned to its former state ­ home court for Colonials¹ sports ­ as the reporters hurried back to their editors. A few days later, on June 8, President Bush and Fitzwater each sent letters of appreciation to the University for facilitating the press center during the summit.

President Bush complimented the University in a letter addressed to the administration, faculty and students, saying, ³The professional and courteous manner with which you hosted the international press corps fostered a spirit of goodwill at these historic meetings, and I remain grateful to each of you.²