2nd National Office - 9030 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, MD
“…the fact that it was built across the street from the NIH (National Institutes of Health) campus was not without some considerable forethought…”
- The First 75 Years: An Oral History, 1999
The second National Office was located in a residential area of Bethesda, MD known as Oakmont. As early as 1962, plans had been underway for finding a new National Office. The need for additional space was fueled by various factors such as a rapidly expanding membership, new activities such as publications, legislation and research. The decision was made to purchase property and build a new headquarters outside of downtown Washington, DC as opposed to staying in the city and renting property.
The architectural firm of Vosbeck, Vosbeck and Associates of Alexandria, VA were selected as architects who took much care to blend the building in with the surrounding residential area, which led to a design award in 1967 for an outstanding, permanent improvement to the area. The building included many features that were considered novel at the time such as movable partitions, acoustic tiles and a dual duct heating and air-conditioning system.
The move from the Washington, DC office to the Bethesda location took place on March 26, 1966. Later that year a dedication ceremony was held in conjunction with ASHA’s convention in Washington, DC where all convention attendees signed a scroll that was placed in the building's cornerstone during the ceremony.
The National Office was located at this address from 1966-1976 during which membership increased from 13,000 to 24,000. Additional staffing needs brought the building to its maximum capacity and without the ability to enlarge or expand, the hunt was on for a new location with more space.