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The Fireside Chats: Roosevelt's Radio Talks
“The president wants to come into your home and sit at your fireside for a little fireside chat,” announced Robert Trout on the airwaves of CBS in March 1933. It was the first of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous radio talks addressing the problems and successes of the Great Depression, and later, World War II. President Roosevelt had not originally planne
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An Ex-Beatle at the White House
On November 16, 1974, President Gerald Ford’s son Jack, a fan of rock n’ roll, met former Beatle George Harrison backstage after a concert in Salt Lake City. Jack, who was studying forestry at Utah State University, befriended Harrison and invited him and several other guests to visit the White House. On December 13, 1974, keyboardist Billy Preston, sitarist Ravi Shankar, saxophonist Tommy Scot
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A Country Evening in the East Room
President Richard Nixon and First Lady Patricia Nixon instituted many changes and improvements to the White House during their time in Washington, D.C. The Nixons had a major outdoor lighting system installed to illuminate the Executive Mansion at night; the first lady oversaw several room restoration projects and a dramatic expansion of the White House collection; and the president
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Distinguished Cellists in the White House
The White House has hosted many musical performances featuring artists playing a wide variety of instruments. When the first cello—an instrument dating originally from the sixteenth century and also called the violincello—passed through the doors of the Executive Mansion remains uncertain. The first great showcase performance there to feature the instrument, however, took place on January 15, 1904, when twenty-seven-year-old Span
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The Chandeliers of the East Room
After ascending the staircase from the Ground Floor to the State Floor, the first room that visitors on a tour of the White House encounter is the East Room. As the largest room in the Executive Mansion, it has accommodated weddings, funerals, State Dinners, and much more, but during the nineteenth century it was primarily used as a reception space
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Alice Roosevelt Longworth: Presidential Daughter and American Celebrity
Alice Lee Roosevelt’s life changed forever on September 14, 1901, when President William McKinley succumbed to his wounds eight days after being shot by an assassin. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was quickly sworn in as the President of the United States. The Roosevelt family moved into the White House and the nation was introduced to one of the most sensational first ch
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Patricia Nixon's Visitor Friendly White House
Not long after she became First Lady, Pat Nixon was asked what she planned to focus on in her new role. Her response was simple: “People are my project.”1Mrs. Nixon did not want to be constrained by selecting one specific project. Instead, she wanted the latitude to pursue various projects that directly helped people.As First Lady, Mrs. Nixon trav
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Presidential Pooches
Since the beginning of the American presidency, dogs have often shared a presence in both the first family and the White House. In fact, 30 out of the 44 presidents have had a dog at some point during their respective presidencies. These dogs were not only important in the lives of the presidents and their families, but also to the American public.
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A Celebration for Veterans
At the end of World War I, over 200,000 wounded soldiers returned home to the United States. To help these veterans cope with their physical and psychological injuries, post-war presidents hosted annual garden parties at the White House. These events took place on the South Lawn and included wounded veterans from local military and naval hospitals. The veterans, along with their
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The Enslaved Household of President Thomas Jefferson
These powerful words open the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, the document by which the Second Continental Congress announced its intention to separate the American colonies from Great Britain in 1776. The primary author of this famous document was none other than Thomas Jefferson. Although these words have been quoted and repeated countless times throughout history to underscore American values
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The Life and Presidency of John F. Kennedy
The White House Historical Association’s 2020 Official White House Christmas Ornament honors John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States. The youngest president since Theodore Roosevelt, Kennedy took office in January 1961, at age 43. Before his vibrant presidency was cut short by an assassin’s bullet on November 22, 1963, he had reinvigorated the American spirit. His legacy lives on in his
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Slavery's Mark on Lincoln's White House
On a bright March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln took office as President of the United States “entirely ignorant not only of the duties, but of the manner of doing the business,” and so he soon confessed.1 Happily for him and Mrs. Lincoln, the domestic staff had much to teach them both. All of the servants were free men and women, but many had