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Television Crews Visit the White House

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In 1952, following a major renovation of the White House, President Harry S. Truman invited ABC, NBC, and CBS, to bring their cameras and correspondents to the White House to accompany the president on a tour of the reconstructed White House. Dwight D. Eisenhower held the first presidential press conference covered by both television and motion picture newsreel on January 19, 1955. Eisenhower was also the first president to use helicopters to travel to and from the White House grounds.

Eisenhower Prepares to Board Helicopter

President Dwight D. Eisenhower stands near the door of a helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House. Eisenhower was the first president to travel by helicopter.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum/NARA, National Park Service

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Footnotes & Resources

William Seale, The President's House, 1052.

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