The White House Historical Association Hosted Annual Symposium: “The White House in Popular Culture”

May 06, 2023 Washington, D.C. —

The White House Historical Association, in partnership with the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, hosted its annual day-long educational symposium on Friday, May 5, 2023, 9 AM - 5:00 PM at the historic Decatur House located at 748 Jackson Place NW, Washington, D.C.

See high-resolution images of the 2023 Symposium

This year’s program featured the theme “The White House in Popular Culture” and included panel discussions on the topics of “the Presidency in Comics and Cartoons,” “the White House in Television,” “Presidents and Film,” and “the Presidency in Popular Culture.”

“The White House in Television” and “Presidents and Film” panels were livestreamed on the White House Historical Association’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

2023 Symposium Schedule and Speakers included:

• “The Presidency in Comics and Cartoons”
  • Dr. Kevin Butterfield, director of the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress and author (moderator)
  • Dr. Sara Duke, curator at the Library of Congress
  • Megan Halsband, reference librarian at the Library of Congress
  • Jesse Holland, journalist, historian, and author of several books including, Black Panther: Who Is the Black Panther?

• “The White House in Television”
  • Dr. Kathryn Cramer Brownell, associate professor of history at Purdue University and a senior editor at Made By History at the Washington Post (moderator)
  • Eric Lesser, senior counsel at WilmerHale and former White House aide
  • Dr. Trevor Parry-Giles, professor of communication at the University of Maryland and associate dean for faculty affairs and research, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Dr. Gautham Rao, associate professor of history at American University

• “Presidents and Film”
  • Dr. Matthew Costello, vice president of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History and senior historian, The White House Historical Association (moderator)
  • Dr. Lilly Goren, professor of political science at Carroll University
  • Tammy Haddad, founder and CEO of Haddad Media and Washington consultant for HBO
  • Gloria Reuben, actress, singer, and author whose work includes portraying Elizabeth Keckley in the 2012 film, Lincoln

• “Portraying the Presidency: A Conversation on the White House in Popular Culture”
  • Dr. Colleen Shogan, senior vice president and director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, The White House Historical Association (moderator)
  • Dr. Tevi Troy, senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and best-selling presidential historian

For more information about this event, contact press@whha.org.

About the John W. Kluge Center

The John W. Kluge Center invites into residence top thinkers from around the world to distill wisdom from the rich resources of the Library of Congress and to foster mutually enriching relationships with lawmakers, other policy leaders, and the public. Occupying dedicated study and meeting spaces within the magnificent Thomas Jefferson Building, across the street from the U.S. Capitol, the center allows scholars easy access to the largest collection of knowledge in the world and makes academic insights available to policymakers. The center also administers the John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity, which recognizes and celebrates work of the highest quality and greatest impact that advances understanding of the human experience.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.