Main Content

Presidents

Featured Collection

The Presidents

Biographies & Portraits

clear filters
Scholarship

The Truman Renovation Souvenir Program

As part of the implementation of the Truman renovation, the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion was tasked with disposing excess building materials that could not be reutilized. On February 17, 1950, President Truman approved the creation of a souvenir program. The leftover pieces in question were somewhat limited to materials that had “no tangible value but which were desired by

Scholarship

Slavery and French Cuisine in Jefferson's Working White House

President Thomas Jefferson was widely recognized as a Francophile, embracing all things French including art, culture, and custom. While serving as Minister to France from 1784 to 1789, Jefferson developed a particular taste for French cuisine. However, French chefs were very expensive to employ, and Jefferson’s costs regularly outpaced his income. While Jefferson may have been short on cash, he did ha

Scholarship

A Very Truman Christmas

The White House has many holiday traditions, some of which are historic and others more recent. New arrivals to the Executive Mansion often bring unique familial rituals that they celebrate alongside time-tested White House and presidential customs. During the holiday season, the president and first lady participate in public traditions such as receiving a tree for the Blue Room, lighting

Scholarship

Sculpture, Bribery, and the Founding Fathers

During his short time in America, Italian neoclassical sculptor Giuseppe Ceracchi created approximately thirty-six marble busts of prominent men including Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington, earning him a place as one of the most prolific sculptors in early American history. In particular he is known for a neoclassical bust of George Washington, currently part of the

Scholarship

"He Stands for All the Fallen"

“Quentin’s mother and I are very glad that he got to the front and had the chance to render some service to his country and to show the stuff there was in him before his fate befell him” – Former President Theodore Roosevelt, July 17, 19181 On July 14th, 1918, less than four months before the end of World War I, Lieutenant Quentin Roosevel

Scholarship

A Brief History of the Presidential Seal

The Presidential Seal is synonymous with presidential authority and executive power. However, there were many different iterations, modifications, and alterations that ultimately led to the modern version that is universally recognized today. The origins of the presidential seal can be traced back to the Continental Congress. In 1782, Secretary of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson used elements from three different committees