The West Wing: 1950-1974
1953: President Truman's last speech as president.
The Press at the White House: 1941-1952
How Long? 1 minute
In 1945, Harry S. Truman proposed a major West Wing expansion that would add a studio and auditorium for press briefings. The plans lacked Congressional support and were not executed. Truman moved the meeting place for press conferences from the Oval Office to the Indian Treaty Room in the State Department (today’s Eisenhower Executive Office Building). Truman’s press conferences were reduced to once a week and became more scripted, usually including a formal presidential statement to outline positions or issues.
You Might Also Like
-
-
The West Wing: 1925-1949
1929: Herbert Hoover was the first president to have a telephone installed on his desk on March 27. A fire on Christmas...
-
The West Wing: 1975-1999
1979: Islamic militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and took Americans hostage. The West Wing once again became...
-
The West Wing: 2000-
2001: Terrorists attack the United States on September 11. Once again the West Wing became a logistical center for the nation at...
-
The West Wing: 1900-1924
1902: A White House "restoration" was undertaken. Under Theodore Roosevelt, the 19th-century conservatories were razed, and a new "temporary" executive office...
-
The East and West Wings of the White House
On a cold March 11, 1809, Thomas Jefferson paid the ferryman $1 to take him and his carriage across the Potomac River at...
-
President Kennedy's Rose Garden
The inspiration for renewing the rose garden at the White House came from President Kennedy in 1961. My involvement began at...
-
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Train Ferdinand Magellan
Before U.S. Air Force One there was U.S. Train Car Number One, designed for the specifications of President...
-
Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day": Christmas
The Roosevelts celebrated Christmas with a flurry of public and private activities. The non-stop action began the week before Christmas...
-
Military Influence on White House Musical Performances
As the war in Europe cast its shadow over the capital’s social life, White House entertaining diminished. But one ev...
-
"A Journey into Nowhere"
By the summer of 1946, President Harry S. Truman needed a vacation. Catapulted into the presidency by the sudden death of...
-
Harry S. Truman's "Little White House"
Since the creation of the American presidency, there have been presidential vacations. Early chief executives such as George Washington, John...