Main Content

Treaty Room, John F. Kennedy Administration

This photograph of the Treaty Room following its refurbishment and restoration by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on May 3, 1962. Mrs. Kennedy, along with French interior designer Stéphane Boudin, oversaw the restoration of the Treaty Room including the installation of the deep green wallpaper with a red geometric design inspired by a decorative treatment for the State Rooms during the Andrew Johnson administration. The Treaty Room is located on the Second Floor of the White House and is used as the presidents private study where the commander-in-chief can analyze reports, hold private meetings, edit speeches, and host family gatherings. It is one of the most historic rooms in the house, bearing witness to the signing of the peace protocol between Spain and United States in 1898, the Limited Nuclear Test Ban between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1963, and is possibly where President James Monroe composed the Monroe Doctrine. It has also served as the Cabinet Room for various administrations including for presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and William McKinley.
Photographer
Robert L. Knudsen
Date of Work
May 3, 1962
Type
Photograph
Credit
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/NARA