Featuring Jason Van Dyke, Director of Communications, Grand Lodge of Washington, DC, and Chris Ruli, Historian & Librarian, Grand Lodge of Washington, DC
Honoring some of the greatest moments in sports history has become a tradition at the White House. Presidents and their families have long recognized athletes as well as the cooperation, competition, and national pride displayed during the summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Over the years, this has taken on a variety of forms from opening the games to
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition of millions of American families. In this collection, explore the inspiration and history behind our 2016 design, and discover how the White House and
No sport is more closely tied to the American presidency than baseball. One of Washington’s first baseball fields was located practically in the president's backyard — and as the game’s popularity grew, so did its connection with the White House. In this collection, we will examine the bond between these two quintessentially American institutions. We will also discover who was re
It is hard to imagine that it was something as casual as a lunch conversation between a newly elected president and an amateur gardener that gave rise to one of our nation's most iconic outdoor spaces. In this collection, Rose Garden designer Rachel Lambert Mellon explains how the grounds were so thoughtfully transformed, while others detail the White House's diverse
A dinner at the White House has always had significance beyond the gastronomical delights. The elegance of the State Dining Room and the intimacy of the Family Dining Room set the stage for the politics and diplomacy that takes place between courses. In this collection, learn how the style of each room has evolved with its purpose, and how the
Presidents have found different ways to escape the pressures and politics of the position. For early leaders, it was a matter of course that they would leave the White House for the summer to tend to personal businesses or farms. The modern-day presidency is a year-round job. So while the work often follows, the countryside of Virginia or seaside of
Thanksgiving is a relatively quiet and personal holiday at the White House, as it precedes a very busy season of public events in December. With the exception of the annual turkey pardon, the First Family celebrates with friends and family in the same fashion as households across the country. Setting aside a day to give thanks and reflect was the
First Lady Lou Hoover's invitation to Jessie L. DePriest to a White House tea party in 1929 created a storm of protest and indignation. This traditional act of hospitality toward the wife of the first black man elected to Congress in the twentieth century created a political crisis for the president and first lady. This collection explores the "tempest" from the
The White House Historical Association and the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project present this collaboration in an effort to open a window into the Roosevelt White House. From 1935 to 1962, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a syndicated column entitled "My Day." This project selects representative samples of those columns, focused on the White House years, to display Mrs. Roosevelt’s thoughts on a