Bernard Goodrich, a smart and affable reporter for the Washington Evening Star and a leading board member of the National Press Foundation, passed away on August 9 in Ocean City, New Jersey. He was 95.

“He had one foot in journalism and one foot in public relations, and he never got them confused,” said former NPF president Bob Meyers. In addition to the Star, Goodrich was a shipboard correspondent with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean area during the Korean War, writing stories for the hometown papers of Marines stationed in Europe.

He worked at the Washington Star until 1955 when he left to enter public relations.

In 1966, he volunteered as media advance man for Vice President Hubert Humphrey and in 1968 managed the press room at the Democratic Convention in Chicago.

“Bernie Goodrich was a man of service, not only to journalism and the public, but to the country,” said NPF President Anne Godlasky. “The National Press Foundation staff extends our condolences to his family, friends and journalists lucky enough to have worked with him.

For the foundation, Goodrich was the chairman for 10 years of NPF’s annual awards dinner, which honors the best in journalism, helping it grow into one of Washington’s major media events.

Bernie was also a long-time and much beloved member of the National Press Club and a member of the Public Relations Society of America. On the corporate side, he was a senior executive for International Telephone and Telegraph Corp. and MCI Communications Corporation for many years.

A private service was held for Goodrich. Additional information was published by The Washington Post on Sept. 14.