The Truman Family

This photograph shows the Truman family posing for a family portrait in the Red Room of the White House. Left to right: First Lady Bess Truman, President Harry Truman, and their daughter, Margaret Truman.

Photographer: Brooks
Date of Work: ca. 1946
Type: Photograph
Credit: Library of Congress

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Event
History Happy Hour: Three First Ladies and Four Great Speeches

At the turn of the 21st century, experts in public address were asked to identify the top 100 political speeches of the 20th century. Over 100 scholars submitted their choices and among the final 100 were four by first ladies--two by Eleanor Roosevelt, one by Barbara Bush, and one by Hillary Clinton. This upcoming History Happy Hour program explores the entrance of first
Video
Passover Celebrations at the White House

More than 70% of Jewish Americans take part in the Passover Seder, making Passover the most celebrated of Jewish holidays. Since 2009, the White House has joined in celebrating Passover in various ways. Rubenstein Center Research Fellow Dr. Phillip Lieberman will discuss this tradition, as well as the ebb and flow of presidential participation in the Jewish Feast of Freedom.
Article
Where Hospitality Makes History: State Visits

Since World War II, an ever-lengthening procession of foreign leaders has come to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to confer on global problems. These dignitaries are often formally entertained at the White House, and an invitation to attend such a function is highly coveted. Certainly a State Dinner to honor a visiting head of government or a reigning monarch is one of the
Event
History Happy Hour: Eliza Scidmore - From Early White House Reporting to Washington’s Cherry Trees

Eliza Scidmore earned her journalistic stripes as a “society writer” in Gilded Age Washington, reporting from the White House and around the nation’s capital. Fired by a spirit of adventure, she took up travel writing, educating Americans about little-known places like Alaska and Japan. In her best-known legacy, Scidmore carried home from Japan the idea of planting cherry-blossom trees along
Video
Protest at the White House

There is a rich history of protests and demonstrations at the White House and Lafayette Park, from the suffragists' silent pickets to a peace vigil that has spanned across decades. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For our education resource about protest at the White House, click here. For more information about this
Video
First Ladies

The role of the First Lady of the United States has changed over the years. These women have shaped the White House as well as the nation. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. To learn more about the evolving roles of the first lady, click here. For information and short biographies about all
Video
Presidential Transportation

U.S. Presidential transportation has evolved over time, from George Washington's horse-drawn carriage to the modern "Air Force One" and "The Beast." For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For our educational resource about transportation and the White House, click here. This video was produced in partnership with UNTOLD. Untold is a project of
Video
Building the White House

The White House stands as a symbol of freedom, but the story behind its construction reveals some important contradictions. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For more information about the design, building, and rebuilding of the White House, click here. For more information about Slavery in the President's Neighborhood research initiative, click here.
Press Release
NEW Virtual White House Springtime Scavenger Hunt and 360 Tour of the White House

The White House Historical Association is offering a new Virtual White House Springtime scavenger hunt as a compliment to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. These virtual activities can be completed online at whitehousehistory.org for a chance to win an Official 2024 White House Easter Egg Set. The Virtual White House Springtime scavenger hunt uses a 360-degree virtual tour
Event
Easter Book Signing and Meet the Authors

Please join the White House Historical Association as they host authors Jonathan Pliska and Rocco Smirne throughout the day on Easter Monday at the White House Visitor Center. Presigned copies of Gigi at the White House! by Giovanna McBride will also be available!
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White House History with Margaret Brennan: Women in Diplomacy

The White House Historical Association's 2024 quarterly series White House History with Margaret Brennan will feature four conversations dealing with various topics about the rich history of the Executive Mansion. The White House Historical Association will launch the series on March 21, 2024. This year’s theme is Diplomacy and the White House, and this event will explore the topic of Women in Di
Event
History Happy Hour: The Undiplomat

Deesha Dyer, once a hip-hop journalist and community leader, didn’t expect her path to eventually lead to the White House. Dyer applied for a White House Internship in 2009 as a thirty-one-year-old part-time community college student. This opportunity led to a full-time position and two promotions, later culminating in a more prominent and exclusive role: social secretary at the White Ho