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Truman White House 1945 - 1953
President Harry S. Truman was close to his friends and associates, had a grin for strangers, but could be less than tolerant of some critics. The famous sign placed on his desk in the Oval Office, “The Buck Stops Here,” made it clear that as president he was responsible for all that happened on his watch. He came to the pres
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Eisenhower White House 1953 - 1961
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the only army general elected president in the twentieth century. His achievements were many — he was an innovator and had strong executive ability and the gift of command. From his regular television appearances and use of helicopters to the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Interstate Highway System, Eisenhower displayed leadership and a
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The Kennedy White House 1961-1963
At age 43, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the youngest person ever elected to the presidency. Before his vibrant presidency was cut short by an assassin's bullets on November 22, 1963, he had reinvigorated the American spirit. His optimism and belief in America's responsibilities to the world live on as part of his legacy.
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First Children
What was it like to grow up in a home where some of the most important political decisions are being made at the same time as you are trying to pass your driver's license exam? We all remember our childhood firsts, but for most of us, these quintessential memories did not take place in one of the country's most famous
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Easter Egg Roll: The First Families' Role
Once the White House was opened to public egg rolling festivities in 1878, first families had to decide whether they were going to join the throng of celebrants or just organize and play host to it. Previously, the South Lawn was reserved for their own private Eastertide activities. Now the grounds represented a famous rite of spring for the nation's capital.
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19th Century White House Staff
For most of the 19th century, the structure of the White House staff remained generally the same. At the top was the steward, a federal employee who was bonded; the Congress created this position to safeguard the silver and furnishings in the house. The steward was on the government payroll. He functioned as the manager of the house. The job
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Famous Quotes from White House Workers
The whole family [of President Theodore Roosevelt] were fiends when it came to reading. No newspapers. Never a moment was allowed to go to waste; from the oldest to the youngest they always had a book or magazine before them. The President in particular would devour a book, and it was no uncommon thing for him to go entirely through
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The Electric Career of Ike Hoover
A group of physicians and surgeons meeting in Washington 1891 was treated to a reception at the White House on the evening of September 24. President Benjamin Harrison moved among the gathering, and "extended a hearty grasp to each of the doctors."1 The event included "lively airs" by the Marine band, and a chance to wander through the conservatory and reception rooms.
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White House Pets: Merry Menagerie
Two of the youngest presidents to reside in the White House brought their families and a menagerie of pets along with them. A pony, sheep, dogs, cats, a macaw, guinea pigs, rats, a snake, and many more animal friends lived at the Theodore Roosevelt White House. In 1908 the Washington Evening Star observed, "There is no home in Washington so full
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White House Pets
Animals -- whether pampered household pets, working livestock, birds, squirrels, or strays -- have long been a major part of life at the White House. Some pets simply provided companionship to the president and his family. Others gained fame for a role in shaping the president's public image. No matter what job was bestowed upon them, White House pets usually
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First Ladies' Private Lives
In the early decades of the republic a president's wife, like other wives, seldom displayed her private life to the eyes of the public. Few images of first ladies in recreational roles appeared until the early twentieth century, when American women gained new status and freedom in a fast-changing society. Today along with the title first lady, the president's wife
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Andrew Jackson's Servants
President Andrew Jackson was a slaveholder who brought a large household of slave domestics with him from Tennessee to the President’s House. Many of them lived in the servant’s quarters, but the president’s body servant slept in the room with him. Jackson’s servants worked under Rachel Jackson’s management at his Tennessee home for the better part of th