Collection State Dinners
A State Dinner honoring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is one of the grandest and most glamorous...
Main Content
While neither President nor Mrs. Eisenhower was especially knowledgeable in European classical music, they recognized the value of the music of their own nation and placed more emphasis than any of their predecessors on White House programs that reflected its colorful variety. The Eisenhowers were the first to bring Broadway musical theater to the White House in an after-dinner program for Chief Justice Earl Warren in 1958. They were also especially proud of the nation’s military ensembles, and brought to the White House choral and instrumental groups from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the United States Marine Band, which had been performing at the White House from the time of John Adams. President Eisenhower also initiated the current concept of roving musicians, notably the Air Force Strolling Strings, who performed at the state dinner for the king of Saudi Arabia in 1957. Guest artists under the Eisenhowers also included Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, Guy Lombardo, and the world-renowned pianist Artur Rubinstein in his only White House concert.
Landmark Era Performance - 1958:
The Eisenhowers were the first to bring Broadway musical theater to the
White House in an after-dinner program for Chief Justice Earl Warren in
1958.
Broadway stars pose on the South Steps of the White House in 1958.
National Park Service/NARAA State Dinner honoring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is one of the grandest and most glamorous...
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., the nation’s only unelected president and vice president, served thirteen terms in Congress before rising to...
From hot dogs to haute cuisine, U.S. Presidents have communicated important messages through food. Stewart McLaurin, President of the...
A donation from the Recording Industry Association of America to the Nixon White House, the White House Recording Library was...
Bartlett Sher is a Tony Award-winning director who has brought thoughtful, powerful productions to theaters, opera houses, and film. He...
On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon was inaugurated as the thirty-seventh president of the United States. During his time in the White...
Wine has a long and important history in the White House, playing a unique role in entertaining, public ceremonies, and...
Baseball has been known as our national pastime and has links to the presidency as far back as the Abraham...
The National Archives has been collecting records of the United States since 1934. It holds billions of documents, photographs, and objects...
Portrait artists have captured the image and personality of our presidents throughout history, providing a record of their time in...
Americans are familiar with the ceremonies of Inauguration Day, when a new President takes the oath of office at the...
The White House Historical Association presents The White House 1600 Sessions, a podcast that explores the history, untold stories and personal...