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Scholarship
“A Charming Resort”
For nearly a century, the United States Marine Band’s Saturday afternoon public concerts on the south grounds of the White House from June to September were a fixture of cultural life in Washington, D.C. Performed largely in an era before radio, motion pictures, television and the internet, the concerts offered people a chance to sample free, high quality en
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Scholarship
History of China State Visits to the White House
On January 29, 1979, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter received Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping and his wife, Madame Zhuo Lin, for an official visit to Washington D.C. The occasion marked the highest-ranking Chinese visitor to the White House since Madame Chiang Kai-shek visited in 1943.
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Scholarship
Italy in the White House: A Conversation on Historical Perspectives
March 2 Program9:00am-10:00am Registration and light breakfast at Decatur House 10:00am-10:15am Break and transition to Carriage House 10:15am-10:45amWelcome Stewart D. McLaurin, President, White House Historical AssociationThe Honorable Anita B. McBride, Board Member, White House Historical Association; National Italian American Foundation John Viola, President and COO, National Italian American Foundation Dr. Curtis Sandberg, Director of the David M.
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Scholarship
Splendor and Scrutiny of White House Tableware
When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau attended a State Dinner at the White House on March 10, 2016, they enjoyed a meal that was the result of months of thoughtful preparation. From the floral arrangements to the menu, no detail was overlooked—and this included the plates off of which they ate. Guests at White House fun
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Frank Sinatra Sings at the White House
Throughout his legendary music career, Frank Sinatra performed several times at the White House. On April 17, 1973, Sinatra performed at a State Dinner for Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti of Italy. President Nixon introduced Sinatra as “a man whose parents were born in Italy but yet from humble beginnings went to the very top in entertainment.” The singer was so stirred by the
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Scholarship
Hoover's Retreat: Rapidan Camp
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, 100 miles from Washington, Camp Rapidan served President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou Henry Hoover as a vacation retreat and also a rustic resort center for entertainment of important guests. Rapidan Camp lay 2,550 feet above sea level, and its fresh air drifting through elm, beech and oak trees provided a refreshing difference
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Scholarship
The Fireside Chats: Roosevelt's Radio Talks
“The president wants to come into your home and sit at your fireside for a little fireside chat,” announced Robert Trout on the airwaves of CBS in March 1933. It was the first of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous radio talks addressing the problems and successes of the Great Depression, and later, World War II. President Roosevelt had not originally planne
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Scholarship
The Builders of Tudor Place
Like his father, Thomas Peter was a skillful businessman, a significant landowner, and a large slaveholder who was active within the community and the new city. His pursuits included farming and horse racing. A man of refinement, he was also an accomplished flutist, and his literary interests are revealed in his extensive book collection. President John Adams named Thomas a
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Scholarship
The Washington Collection at Tudor Place
The Washington Collection is comprised of manuscripts and more than two hundred objects, making Tudor Place one of the largest public repositories of items owned by Martha and George Washington. Of particular note is a letter written from Philadelphia on June 18, 1775, by George Washington to Martha Washington at Mount Vernon upon his assuming command of the Continental Army. This significant
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Scholarship
An Ex-Beatle at the White House
On November 16, 1974, President Gerald Ford’s son Jack, a fan of rock n’ roll, met former Beatle George Harrison backstage after a concert in Salt Lake City. Jack, who was studying forestry at Utah State University, befriended Harrison and invited him and several other guests to visit the White House. On December 13, 1974, keyboardist Billy Preston, sitarist Ravi Shankar, saxophonist Tommy Scot
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Scholarship
A Country Evening in the East Room
President Richard Nixon and First Lady Patricia Nixon instituted many changes and improvements to the White House during their time in Washington, D.C. The Nixons had a major outdoor lighting system installed to illuminate the Executive Mansion at night; the first lady oversaw several room restoration projects and a dramatic expansion of the White House collection; and the president
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Scholarship
Distinguished Cellists in the White House
The White House has hosted many musical performances featuring artists playing a wide variety of instruments. When the first cello—an instrument dating originally from the sixteenth century and also called the violincello—passed through the doors of the Executive Mansion remains uncertain. The first great showcase performance there to feature the instrument, however, took place on January 15, 1904, when twenty-seven-year-old Span