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Article
Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day," 12/12/1938
WASHINGTON, Sunday—I must go back to tell you something of what has been going on the last few days, for they have indeed been typically busy days of the Washington season.Friday night I presided at the dinner of the American Public Welfare Association. The last time I had been with them was in Montreal three years ago. This di
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Article
Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day," 12/23/1944
WASHINGTON, Friday—Miss Thompson1 and I arrived in Washington in what seemed the depths of the night, but it was really a little after 7 A. M. yesterday. From then on it was a busy day. At 11 o'clock the President and I received the staff of the executive offices to wish them all a merry Christmas, and at 12:30 Girl Scout Troop #167 ca
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Article
Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day," 12/8/1941
WASHINGTON, Sunday—I was going out in the hall to say goodbye to our cousins, Mr.1 and Mrs. Frederick Adams,2 and their children, after luncheon, and, as I stepped out of my room, I knew something had happened. All the secretaries were there, two telephones were in use, the senior military aides were on their way with messages. I said no
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Article
Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day," 12/29/1941
WASHINGTON, Sunday—A few people came in to tea on Friday afternoon. The President worked right through with the Prime Minister1 and others, so we were late for an 8:00 o'clock dinner. The President made up his mind that they had all worked enough and needed relaxation, so we had a movie, which apparently was just the right thing for the oc
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Article
Artists' Life Studies for White House Portraits
Artists often use studies or sketches to develop their final compositions, and this is especially true of portrait painters. Prominent subjects have busy schedules, and few subjects are more prominent—or busy—than United States presidents. Quick sketches capture the angle of the face, the positioning of the figure, the selection of clothing and accessories, and even ideas for the back
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Article
"A Well-Ordered Household"
One morning in early December 1802 a Federalist senator, just arrived from New Hampshire, was ushered into the President’s House with some fellow legislators. After a few moments “a tall highboned man” entered the room, wearing “an old brown coat, red waistcoat, old corduroy small clothes, much soild—woolen hose—& slippers without heels.” William Plumer later wrote a friend, “I thought this m
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Article
President Buchanan Greets a Guest of State
By the fall of 1860, the Buchanan administration seemed headed for a tense but dramatic conclusion. Earlier that year, President James Buchanan had pointedly declined the renomination, exhausted by a fractured relationship with Congress and last minute attempts to quash talk of southern states’ secession from the union. He believed that his best efforts at reconciliation between states’ rights activists and abol
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Article
"Proud Housewife": Mamie Eisenhower Collects for the White House
Every presidential family that resides in the White House leaves a mark on the building and its traditions. The extent of a family’s influence on the physical White House depends usually on its length of residence and its inclinations to take the trouble to make changes. History plays a part as well. While major additions to the White House an
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Event
Popular Culture in the White House Symposium
The White House Historical Association in partnership with The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress presents the 2023 Symposium “The White House in Popular Culture.” This all-day event is open to the public and will discuss the intersection of popular culture and the White House through the topics of comics and cartoons, television, and movies. Further information and the
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Video
2023 Presidential Sites Summit: Entertaining at the White House - A Conversation with Former Social Secretaries
The evening event from the 2023 Presidential Sites Summit called “Entertaining at the White House” highlights the importance of the White House as a stage for hospitality and diplomacy. Welcome Remarks: Anthea Hartig, Elizabeth MacMillan Director, National Museum of American HistoryModerator: Anita McBride, Chair, Presidential Sites SummitJeremy Bernard, Former White House Social Secretary to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obam
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Video
White House Historical Association 60th Anniversary Gala
The White House Historical Association celebrated its 60th anniversary with a gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The program included remarks from Dr. Jill Biden, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, David Rubenstein, Fred Ryan, John F.W. Rogers, Stewart McLaurin, and Al Roker. Music was provided by the NYU Chamber Orchestra, Grey Coat Fife and Drum Corps,
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Press Release
Available for Pre-Order Today: New Issue of White House History Quarterly, “Every President Has Walked These Grounds”
Today the White House Historical Association released a new issue of its award-winning magazine, White House History Quarterly, titled, “Every President Has Walked These Grounds." On November 21, 1800, after moving into the barely finished President's House in the emerging City of Washington, First Lady Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her daughter describing the site of her new home: "It is a