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Change and Continuity

Presidential Sites Summit, September 25-28, 2023

The White House Historical Association convened in Washington, D.C. for the 2023 Presidential Sites Summit. The theme “Change and Continuity” highlighted how presidential sites and organizations can prepare the next generation of site leaders while recognizing our critical role in preserving our country’s history.

This gathering brought together participants from around the country to discuss key issues facing presidential sites and facilitate networking opportunities. Under the convening leadership of the White House Historical Association, the Summit featured a variety of experts and professionals, compelling sessions and conversations, and exciting visits to historic sites in our nation’s capital.

About this Summit

This national conference is held every two years and is hosted at a site with connections to the American presidency and includes attendees representing institutions from all regions of the country and from across the spectrum of the historical profession. Primarily, attendees work at institutions that:

  1. Have as their mission the lives and times of a President and or First Lady of the United States of America
  2. Provide stewardship and regularly exhibit or make available to the public a presidential collection or property
  3. Offer educational programs and provide opportunities for research and scholarship; and
  4. Any other entity with a history of Presidential or White House connection

The Presidential Sites and Libraries community includes federal institutions such as National Archives libraries and National Park Service sites, sites such as those of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (President Lincoln's Cottage, Montpelier, Woodrow Wilson House), private institutions of all sizes including Monticello, the 6th Floor Museum, and the James K. Polk Home, and any other entity with a history of presidential or White House activity or connection. The inaugural PS&L conference took place in Washington, D.C. in March 1993. Subsequent conferences were held at the Carter Center (1996), the Johnson Presidential Library and Museum (1999), Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and National Historic Site (2006), the Miller Center for Public Policy (2010), the Clinton Presidential Center (2014), the Willard InterContinental Hotel (2018), and the Adolphus Hotel (2022).