President of the National Rifle Association of America | |
---|---|
since 2024 | |
Term length | 1 year |
Inaugural holder | Ambrose Burnside |
Formation | November 17, 1871 |
Salary | Unpaid |
The position of president of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a symbolic figurehead role, [1] [2] which dates back to the organization's foundation in New York on November 17, 1871. [3] Founded by George Wood Wingate and William Conant Church, two Union veterans dismayed by the lack of shooting skills among recruits, [4] the rifle association voted to have Union general Ambrose Burnside as its first president. [5] Church succeeded Burnside as the second president of the organization, [6] and Wingate became the tenth in 1886. [7] Traditionally, the first vice president is elevated to president when the position becomes open while the second vice president is similarly promoted, [8] [9] but this practice has not always been followed. [10]
Throughout its history, presidents have served purposes and effects including providing the NRA greater legitimacy; [7] [11] holders of the office have also intentionally provoked outrage and condemnation. [3] [12] Since the 1990s, some NRA presidents have made controversial statements such as when James W. Porter II referred to Barack Obama, whose administration he perceived as hostile to gun rights, [13] as a "fake president" and when Charlton Heston proclaimed to gun control advocates that they could only have his firearm after taking it "from my cold, dead hands." [3] [14]
While once elected at the annual convention, [15] as of 2020 [update] , NRA presidents are chosen by the board of directors. [1] [16] They generally serve out two one-year terms. [17] However, the NRA board of directors amended the organization's bylaws to make a personalized exception for actor Charlton Heston to allow him to serve out a unique five-year term. [10] Under said bylaws, the position of president is unpaid. [18] During Oliver North's time in office he sought to make the position a paid one, but this initiative failed when he was ousted as president after a power struggle with executive vice president Wayne LaPierre. [19] Some presidents have been employed by the NRA after leaving office. [20] Marion Hammer was the association's first female president and went on to be executive director of the group's Florida affiliate. [21] [22] The executive vice president acts as the group's chief operating officer. Wayne LaPierre held this post between 1991 and 2024, [23] [24] despite several internal challenges to his role. [25] [26]
There have been 65 NRA presidents, serving 67 distinct tenures as both Smith W. Brookhart and Carolyn D. Meadows have served two nonconsecutive times in the office. Others who have held the position include former United States president Ulysses S. Grant, lobbyist Harlon Carter, American Football League commissioner Joe Foss, and conservative activist David Keene. The current president as of 2021 [update] is Charles Cotton. In April 2023, the NRA Board of Directors voted to amend the bylaws allowing Cotton to serve a third term. [27]
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent gun rights lobbying organization while continuing to teach firearm safety and competency. The organization also publishes several magazines and sponsors competitive marksmanship events. According to the NRA, it had nearly 5 million members as of December 2018, though that figure has not been independently confirmed.
Wayne Robert LaPierre Jr. is an American gun rights lobbyist who was the CEO and executive vice president of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), a position he held between 1991 and 2024.
The Violence Policy Center (VPC) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for gun control.
Robert Allen Ricker was a member of the board of directors and Executive Director of the American Hunters and Shooters Association who resigned on January 6, 2009 after accusing gun manufacturers of "irresponsible" and "negligent" behavior.
Gun show loophole is a political term in the United States referring to the sale of firearms by private sellers, including those done at gun shows, that do not require the seller to conduct a federal background check of the buyer. This is also called the private sale exemption. Under U.S. federal law, any person may sell a firearm to a federally unlicensed resident of the state where they reside, as long as they do not know or have reasonable cause to believe that the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms, and as long as the seller is not "engaged in the business" of selling firearms.
American Rifleman is a United States-based monthly shooting and firearms interest publication, owned by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). It is the 33rd-most-widely-distributed consumer magazine and the NRA's primary magazine. The magazine has its headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia.
William Conant Church was an American journalist, author and soldier. He was publisher of several newspapers and magazines in association with his father and brother. He was the co-founder and second president of the National Rifle Association of America.
Marion P. Hammer is an American gun advocate and lobbyist who was the first female president of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), from 1995 to 1998.
Christopher William Cox is an American lobbyist and public relations consultant. From April 2002 to June 2019 he served as executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). As executive director Cox encompassed the roles of chief lobbyist and principal political strategist.
Dana Lynn Loesch is an American radio and TV host. She is a former spokesperson for the National Rifle Association and a former writer and editor for Breitbart News. Loesch was the host of the program Dana on TheBlaze TV from 2014 to 2017. She also hosts a nationally syndicated weekday radio talk show. Loesch has appeared as a guest on television networks such as Fox News, CNN, CBS, ABC, and HBO.
Franklin Lewis Orth was an American attorney who served as Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) from 1959 until his death. In the 1960s, Orth was influential during debates on gun control in the United States. Orth also served as President of the United States Olympic Committee from April 1969 until his death.
Harlon Bronson Carter was an American advocate for gun rights and a leader of the National Rifle Association of America. Carter's 1977 election as NRA Executive Vice President marked a turning point for the organization. During his tenure, from 1977 to 1985, he shifted the organization's focus from promoting marksmanship and sports shooting towards strident advocacy for less restrictive gun laws. Under Carter's leadership, the NRA became less compromising on gun rights issues. It also tripled its membership and gained considerable political influence.
The National Shooting Centre is the UK's largest shooting sports complex, comprising several shooting ranges as well as the large Bisley Camp complex of accommodation, clubhouses and support services. The centre is located near the village of Bisley in Surrey, from which it takes its colloquial name "Bisley ranges". The site is wholly owned by the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NSC is the trading name of the facility.
Creedmoor Rifle Range was sited on Long Island in what is now Queens Village, Queens, New York.
"Thoughts and prayers" is a phrase commonly used by officials and celebrities, particularly in the United States, as a condolence after a deadly event such as a natural disaster or mass shooting. Critics say such "thoughts and prayers" are offered in lieu of action such as effective gun control or counter-terrorism legislation.
The Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) is the political action committee (PAC) of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). Founded in 1976, the Fund endorses political candidates on behalf of the NRA and contributes money to those candidate's campaigns. It maintains a rating system which awards grades to political candidates based on their support or opposition of gun control measures.
Sarah Chadwick is an American activist against gun violence and one of the leaders of the Never Again MSD activist movement.
Maria Valerievna Butina is a Russian politician, political activist, journalist, and former entrepreneur who was convicted in 2018 of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of Russia within the United States.
NRATV was the online video channel of the National Rifle Association of America. It was established as an offshoot of NRA News in 2016 and ceased production in 2019 and went offline.
Peter Royce Brownell is an American businessman. He is the Chairman of the Board of Brownells, a supplier of firearm accessories, ammunition and supplies based in Grinnell, Iowa. He is also Chairman of the Board and CEO of Brownell's parent company, 2nd Adventure Group.
In recognition of his extraordinary leadership these past two years, the NRA Board of Directors voted unanimously to amend its bylaws to allow Cotton to succeed himself for a third term.
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