Lou Hoover: Charity in the White House
Following her death in 1944, one newspaper remarked that “Lou Henry Hoover’s life was a full, rich one, which has left...
By Land, By Sea, By Air
Whether by hoof, air, waterway, road, or rail, the President’s access to reliable transportation is essential during their time in the Executive Mansion. Modes of transportation have varied over the course of time as technology and the individual presidents’ needs have changed. While George Washington may have thought a well-bred horse was the pinnacle of mobility, subsequent presidents would find that the steamboat, train, and later cars and air travel would further increase the effectiveness of travel to and from the White House. Even today, White House transportation continues to shift based on the needs of the modern presidency. In 2014, the Navy announced that a new fleet of Sikorsky Marine One helicopters would replace the existing aircraft over the course of the next decade. Sikorsky helicopters were first used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957.
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White House Pigeons
As any visitor to Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. will tell you, pigeons are a universal feature of the...
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Benjamin Brown French in the Lincoln Period
Benjamin Brown French first arrived in Washington City in December 1833 and went to work for the House of Representatives. A...
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Gettysburg and Golf Courses
On July 12, 1957, Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president in office to employ a helicopter in his transportation service. This...
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Theodore Roosevelt Invents the Modern Presidential Vacation
On a July afternoon in 1902, Theodore Roosevelt exchanged the sizzle of a Washington summer for the ocean breezes of Oyster...
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The West Wing: 1925-1949
1929: Herbert Hoover was the first president to have a telephone installed on his desk on March 27. A fire on Christmas...
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The West Wing: 1950-1974
1953: President Truman's last speech as president.
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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...
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"Off for the Ditch"
Prior to President and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt’s visit to Panama in 1906, no American president had set foot outside the co...
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The Airborne Ambassador
Eighteen years ago when the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was dedicated, President Reagan expressed his dream that it would bring...
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Foreword; White House History (Number 28)
Mobility is essential to the presidency. The necessity of reaching the far-flung corners of the U.S.A. seems a...
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Caroline Harrison's 1891 Music Room
The Green Room, positioned between the East Room and the Blue Room, is one of the principal parlors of the...