Anita McBride and Mary Matalin following Evacuation of Executive Office Staff

This photograph was taken from the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue near Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. during the evacuation of executive office staff following the terrorist attacks on the morning of September 11, 2001. The evacuation notice applied to approximately 1,800 staff members who worked in the East and West Wings of the White House, the Old Executive Office Building (later rededicated as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building), the New Executive Office Building, and the Winder Building. Here, Anita McBride, assistant to President George W. Bush (center) confers with Mary Matalin, counselor to Vice President Richard B. Cheney. Shortly after this photograph was taken, Matalin joined Vice President Cheney in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) beneath the White House, and McBride and other senior White House transitioned into the DaimlerChrysler office building to continue their work for the day.