Program for the State Dinner Honoring Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
This is the fourth page of an event program illustrating the entertainment that followed a State Dinner hosted by President Gerald R. Ford in honor of Prime Minister Harold Wilson of the United Kingdom and his wife, Mary Wilson. The event was held on January 30, 1975. Soprano Beverly Sills of the New York Opera performed for guests in the East Room of the White House, accompanied by pianist Charles Wadsworth, founder of the Chamber Music Society at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. For the complete program, see 1127393.
This program is part of a personal collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. As executive chef from 1966-1987, Haller oversaw the menus for over 250 State Dinners at the White House.
Families taking up residence at the White House since the Theodore Roosevelt administration have encountered the public's insatiable appetite for stories of everyday life in the Executive Mansion. With the common reproduction of photographs in newspapers and magazines by the early 20th century, presidential pets had to accept the same scrutiny as their distinguished masters. Whether providing companionship or humanizing
Since the beginning of the American presidency, dogs have often shared a presence in both the first family and the White House. In fact, 30 out of the 44 presidents have had a dog at some point during their respective presidencies. These dogs were not only important in the lives of the presidents and their families, but also to the American public.