Event History Happy Hour: Lou Henry Hoover - An Extraordinary Life of Adventure and Service
Lou Henry Hoover led an extraordinary life well before she became First Lady. She enjoyed everything from the outdoors, traveling...
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The first Christmas tree in the White House was placed in the Second Floor Oval Room in 1889.
1 Includes Christmas 2015. Although previous presidential administrations displayed Christmas trees indoors, it was First Lady Mamie Eisenhower who consistently placed a tree in the Blue Room and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy who established the tradition of selecting a decorative theme for the Blue Room Christmas tree in 1961. The Blue Room tree tradition was interrupted twice. In 1962, the tree was moved to the Entrance Hall because of renovation work. In 1969, First Lady Patricia Nixon chose to display the tree in the Entrance Hall to make it more visible.
Compiled by the White House Historical Association. Please credit the Association by its full name when using this as background material. Specific sources consulted available upon request.
For all media inquiries, contact press@whha.org.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. In 1961, the nonprofit, nonpartisan White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the Association has given more than $50 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission.
To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
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