Social Secretary Quotes: Edith Benham Helm

Edith Benham Helm with her staff in 1918.

Edith Benham Helm, social secretary in the Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and Truman administrations, 1915–1921 and 1933–1953

“To really know the ins and outs of Washington I think you must have lived there a long time, and Mrs. Helm could qualify as one of the ‘cave dwellers.’ She knew protocol and what one should do, and after being with us for the few days in the White House and straightening us out of our first difficulties, she decided she would stay to help us with the social side of our problems….I am sure I was at times a trial until Mrs. Helm came to know me better, for her social conscience where dinners and official functions were concerned was far more pronounced than mine.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt’s foreword to The Captains and the Kings by Edith Benham Helm, 1954

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Famous Quotes from White House Workers

The whole family [of President Theodore Roosevelt] were fiends when it came to reading. No newspapers. Never a moment was allowed to go to waste; from the oldest to the youngest they always had a book or magazine before them. The President in particular would devour a book, and it was no uncommon thing for him to go entirely through
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The White House Social Secretary

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The Working White House

For more than two centuries, the White House has been the home of American presidents. A powerful symbol of the nation, it is a uniquely private and public space. Since John and Abigail Adams first moved into the “President’s House” in November 1800, hundreds of individuals have worked behind the scenes to help the White House fulfill its roles as a seat
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White House Military Social Aides

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The White House Behind the Scenes

While the presidency is often in the eye of the public, those who ensure operations at the White House run smoothly on a day-to-day basis often carry out their work behind the scenes. Furthermore, some of the president's most intimate relationships play out behind the walls of the Executive Mansion. In this collection, pull back the curtain on some of
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19th Century White House Staff

For most of the 19th century, the structure of the White House staff remained generally the same. At the top was the steward, a federal employee who was bonded; the Congress created this position to safeguard the silver and furnishings in the house. The steward was on the government payroll. He functioned as the manager of the house. The job
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The Electric Career of Ike Hoover

A group of physicians and surgeons meeting in Washington 1891 was treated to a reception at the White House on the evening of September 24. President Benjamin Harrison moved among the gathering, and "extended a hearty grasp to each of the doctors."1 The event included "lively airs" by the Marine band, and a chance to wander through the conservatory and reception rooms.
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White House Pets

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Andrew Jackson's Servants

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White House Ghost Stories

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Living Quarters on the Ground Floor

White House staff who lived at the President’s House during the nineteenth century, including enslaved and free African Americans, usually had rooms in the basement. Open at the ground level on the south, the basement (referred to as the Ground Floor today) had windows on the north side facing a dry moat that was entirely hidden from view. Visitors on
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The Butler's Role at a State Dinner with Royal Visitors

Prior to the 1939 visit of the queen and king of England, Eleanor Roosevelt received a State Department memorandum, listing various rules of protocol. Mrs. Roosevelt became concerned about the order in which the Roosevelts, and the queen and king, should be served at the state dinner honoring the royal couple.1"I told Franklin," Mrs. Roosevelt recalled, "that British protocol required