. >> maurine beasley as professor emeritus journalism at university of maryland and a former reporterfor the "washington post." she's written a new book called "women of the washington press." what was it like to write for the "washington post" in the 1960s and '70s? >> i was there from 1963-1973 and that's what prompted me to write this book because i remember that the were a group of us women there, and i remembered how hard women had to work. some of these women were so incredibly talented. i knew the struggle they had to get assignments that were equal with men. i think it's interesting that tonight we're here at the national press club, and you are interviewing me right under the infamous balcony where the women were pinned up during the 1960s. you know, they were not allowed to sit down on the floor with the mint and the at the luncheon tables, even though the government had main speakers here at the press club. united states government had a policy of having foreign dignitaries speak here at the press club. and so women who were assigned to cover these people were cooped up her