President Ford with Girl Scout Camille Deppe and Boy Scout James Williams

This photograph by Ricardo Thomas is of President Gerald R. Ford standing with Girl Scout Camille Deppe and Boy Scout James Williams in front of the recently lit National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse on December 17, 1974. The lighting of the National Christmas Tree is a cherished holiday tradition in Washington, D.C. When President Calvin Coolidge lit the first tree in 1923, the celebration attracted more than 6,000 spectators. The opening ceremony and nightly holiday concerts have annually drawn hundreds of attendees.