Reception for the Centennial Year of the Emancipation Proclamation

This photograph of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the recently restored Green Room was taken by Cecil Stoughton on February 12, 1963 during a reception to mark the centennial year of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, and granted freedom to enslaved people residing in Confederate states. The Green Room is located on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion. It was the first room named after the color of its textiles and has Federal-style furnishings. The elegant but relaxed parlor is used for small gatherings, interviews, and teas.