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Stewart D. McLaurin
Stewart D. McLaurin serves as president of the White House Historical Association, founded by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961 to share and preserve the rich history of the White House, a symbol of freedom and democracy to billions of people around the world. A private nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, the Association continues to fulfill Mrs. Kennedy's vision through its mission to
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Barbara Perry
Barbara A. Perry is the Gerald L. Baliles professor and director of Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, where she co-directs the Presidential Oral History Program. She has authored or edited 17 books on presidents, first ladies, the Kennedy family, the Supreme Court, and civil rights and civil liberties, including Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Fr
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Richard Norton Smith
Born in Leominster, Massachusetts in 1953, Mr. Smith graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1975 with a degree in government. Following graduation he worked as a White House intern and as a free lance writer for The Washington Post. After being employed as a speech writer for Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke, he went to work for Senator Bob Dole, with
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About Our Authors
Authors JAMES ARCHER ABBOTT is currently the executive director at Wright’s Ferry Mansion in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Abbott has served as director of Johns Hopkins University’s Evergreen Museum & Library, curator of American and European decorative arts for the Baltimore Museum of Art, and curator and educator for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Boscobel House and Gardens, and Hist
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2022 National History Day Resources
The White House Historical Association (WHHA) offers many different resources for students working on National History Day projects.
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The White House Social Secretary
The White House Historical Association began an oral history project in 2010 under the guidance of Maria Downs, the Association’s public affairs director and the White House Social Secretary during the Gerald Ford administration. Ms. Downs recognized that important insights into White House history were slipping away with the passing of social secretaries. They rarely wrote or spoke of their ex
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The White House Social Secretary: Job Description and Work Culture
What are the responsibilities of the social secretary? The social secretary works with the first lady in the overall planning, arrangement, coordination and direction of all official and personal social events given by the president and his family. This includes the form and wording of invitations, the compiling of guest lists, the setting of menus, the seating, the choice of
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Board of Directors
The White House Historical Association, chartered in 1961, is a nonprofit historical and educational organization that plays a vital role in preserving the White House and recording its unique history. To enhance the understanding and appreciation of the President's home, the White House Historical Association has published and distributed more than eight million books, as well as videos and other educational
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Marian Anderson Performs at the White House
One of the most memorable performances in White House history was Marian Anderson’s rendition of Schubert’s "Ave Maria" as the culmination of a gala "Evening of American Music" presented by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1939. The entertainment was planned for a state visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England. Anderson’s powerful voice soared that evenin
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Famous Quotes from White House Workers
The whole family [of President Theodore Roosevelt] were fiends when it came to reading. No newspapers. Never a moment was allowed to go to waste; from the oldest to the youngest they always had a book or magazine before them. The President in particular would devour a book, and it was no uncommon thing for him to go entirely through
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Michelle Obama Celebrates with the American People
First Lady Michelle Obama began her White House Christmas planning with a very simple idea: to include as many people, in as many places, in as many ways as possible.In 2009, Mrs. Obama asked 60 local community groups from around the nation to "Reflect, Rejoice, Renew," and redecorate 800 ornaments from previous White House administrations. The ornaments paid tribute to favorite local
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National History Day Resources
The 2024 National History Day (NHD) theme is Turning Points in History. The White House Historical Association offers a variety of resources to assist students working on NHD projects.