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In addition to executive leadership, all presidents have in common the place associated with their legacies: the White House. From George Washington's role in selecting the site of the President's House and its architect to the modern day, the symbolic force of the White House resonates through time. All chief executives are shaped by their experiences at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In 2018, the White House Historical Association will convene the Presidential Sites and Libraries to reconnect with the domain that defined those presidencies — the White House.

This gathering will bring together participants from around the country to discuss key issues and consider the latest trends in topics ranging from operations to outreach and interpretation. Under the leadership of the White House Historical Association, this conference will feature preeminent keynote speakers, sessions, exciting tours, and events and serve as a national platform for an ongoing presidential sites and libraries community.

About this Summit

This national conference is held every two years and is hosted at the site with connections to the American presidency and includes attendees representing institutions from all regions of the country and from across the spectrum of the historical profession. Primarily, attendees work at institutions that:

  1. Have as their mission the lives and times of a President and or First Lady of the United States of America
  2. Provide stewardship and regularly exhibit or make available to the public a presidential collection or property
  3. Offer educational programs and provide opportunities for research and scholarship; and
  4. Any other entity with a history of Presidential or White House connection

The Presidential Sites and Libraries community includes federal institutions such as National Archives libraries and National Park Service sites, sites such as those of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (President Lincoln's Cottage, Montpelier, Woodrow Wilson House), private institutions of all sizes including Monticello, the 6th Floor Museum, and the James K. Polk Home, and any other entity with a history of presidential or White House activity or connection. The inaugural PS&L conference took place in Washington, D.C. in March 1993. Subsequent conferences were held at the Carter Center (1996), the Johnson Presidential Library and Museum (1999), Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and National Historic Site (2006), the Miller Center for Public Policy (2010), and the Clinton Presidential Center (2014).