
Presented by the White House Historical Association
Jacqueline Kennedy: Art in Cultural Diplomacy
- Host
- Stewart McLaurin
- Guest
- His Excellency, Philippe Étienne, Ambassador of France to the United States; Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of the World Monuments Fund; and Kaywin Feldman, Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
- Date
- 1/9/23
- Duration
- 19 minutes
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was the driving force behind a brilliant act of cultural diplomacy: bringing Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece, Mona Lisa, to the American people. After convincing everyone from her husband, President John F. Kennedy and French President Charles De Gaulle, to the French Cultural Minister and the Director of the National Gallery of Art, Mona Lisa was brought to the United States in January 1963. Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, spoke with a distinguished panel about the 60th anniversary of this extraordinary exchange, which drew nearly two million visitors. Episode guests include: His Excellency, Philippe Étienne, Ambassador of France to the United States; Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of the World Monuments Fund; and Kaywin Feldman, Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Episodes
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Remembering President John F. Kennedy: A 60th Anniversary Special
Featuring Luci Baines Johnson, Daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson; John Dalton, Former U.S. Secretary of the Navy; Robert McGee, member of the White House Historical Association’s National Council on White House History
-
Home Again with Susan Ford Bales
Featuring Susan Ford Bales, daughter of President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford
-
U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies
Featuring Anita McBride, founding member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education and co-author of U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies
-
An Ordinary Man: President Gerald R. Ford
Featuring Richard Norton Smith, historian and author of "An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford"
-
Bunny Mellon and the White House Rose Garden
Featuring Thomas Lloyd, co-author of “Garden Secrets of Bunny Mellon” and member of the White House Historical Association’s National Council
-
The Ten Habits of Good Citizens
Featuring Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations
-
At the Helm with John H. Dalton
Featuring John H. Dalton, Former Secretary of the Navy and emeritus member of the White House Historical Association's Board of Directors

President of the White House Historical Association
As President of the White House Historical Association Stewart McLaurin leads the nonpartisan, nonprofit in its mission to preserve, protect, and provide access to White House history. As a lifelong student of history, Stewart is an avid reader and storyteller. His first book, White House Miscellany was published this past year and he authors a quarterly column in the White House History Journal. Drawing on his own experiences, relationships, and knowledge he provides listeners with a front row seat to history at the White House.