Press NEW Episode: The White House 1600 Sessions Podcast “America’s Irish Roots”
The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today featuring a conversation on...
Main Content
Have you ever wondered...
The Resolute Desk is a double pedestal partners’ desk made from the oak timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute. In 1880, Queen Victoria gifted the desk to President Rutherford B. Hayes. It has been used by nearly every president since, with the notable exceptions being Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford. The desk was primarily used on the Second Floor of the White House, where the presidential offices were located prior to the construction of the West Wing in 1902. In 1945, the desk’s rear kneehole was fitted with a panel carved with the Presidential Coat-of-Arms, and President Harry S. Truman was the first to use this updated version.
Following the Harry S. Truman Renovation of the White House (1948-1952), the desk was relocated to the Broadcast Room on the Ground Floor and was used for a short time by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to conduct radio and television broadcasts.
The desk was first used in the Oval Office during the presidency of John F. Kennedy. When President Lyndon B. Johnson selected another desk for the Oval Office, the Resolute Desk became part of a traveling exhibition and then went on to the Smithsonian, where it was displayed from 1966 to 1977.
In January 1977, President Jimmy Carter requested that the historic desk return to the Oval Office. Since then, the Resolute Desk has been used by every president in the Oval Office, although President George H.W Bush only used it for five months before switching to a different desk. It was returned during the Bill Clinton administration and has remained there ever since.
We've Also Been Asked...
The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today featuring a conversation on...
In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution, returned to America for the first time in nearly...
Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, sits down with White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin...
We are seeking a dynamic and proactive individual to fill the role of Customer Success Coordinator. This position requires excellent...
The story of eradicating slavery all began with “…a slave girl named Nance” Legins-Costley (1813-1892 ) of Illinois, the first enslaved person...
The White House Historical Association today released the 72nd issue of its award-winning magazine, White House History Quarterly, “On the Mo...
The White House Historical Association’s Official White House Easter Eggs are now available ahead of this year’s White Hous...
The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today featuring a conversation about...
New York Times bestselling and National Book Award winning author Nathaniel Philbrick discusses his latest book, Travels with George: In...
The Official 2024 White House Christmas Ornament honors President Jimmy Carter, the thirty-ninth President of the United States. The 2024 design is...
Today the White House Historical Association released the Official 2024 White House Christmas Ornament which is in the shape of an...