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Pioneering Women of the Woodrow Wilson White House, 1913-1921
American women did not yet possess the right to vote when Woodrow Wilson was elected to his first term in office as President of the United States on November 5, 1912. Despite the efforts of suffrage activists, there was little reason to hope that they would attain that right anytime soon. Although he was an intellectual and a man of high ideals,
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Arts Advisors in the Kennedy White House
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s advocacy for the performing arts endures as a vital part of the Kennedy White House legacy. From 1961 to 1963, the White House became a focal point for arts and culture as the administration hosted numerous concerts and performances. One of the most significant White House concerts during the Kennedy years took pl
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The Arts in the Kennedy White House
Historians of American music, art, and dance often explore their subjects through different topical categories such as genres, schools, and periods. This approach involves studying the individuals and groups responsible for various trends, fashions, and styles. It also means examining how these contributions broadly shaped American culture and artistic expression. Presidential historians tend to focus extensively on a respective administration,
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A Friendly Voice
Marian Anderson was a successful American contralto singer known for her enchanting performances in the United States and throughout the world. But it was her 1939 Easter concert at the Lincoln Memorial that brought her national attention and fame. Charmed by her voice and personality, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt cultivated a relationship between the White House and Marian that would last
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Tennessee in the White House
As he left the White House in 1869, President Andrew Johnson supposedly exclaimed that he could “already smell the sweet mountain air of Tennessee.”1 Despite the considerable distance between Washington, D.C. and Tennessee, there have been numerous connections between the state and the Executive Mansion that highlight Tennessee influence in the history of the president’s home. Three presidents, all servin
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Texas and the White House
While there have only been a handful of Texans who have called the White House “home,” this group has shaped the building’s history in many significant ways. The first Texas-born president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, lived briefly in Denison before his family moved to Abilene, Kansas. Eisenhower spent most of his childhood in Abilene and considered it his hometown; today it hou
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Indiana and the White House
The White House is often referred to as the “people’s house.” Indeed, many people from across the United States have influenced the White House in a variety of ways. From elder statesmen to young innovators, the state of Indiana can proudly claim numerous connections with the White House – both with the physical building and with those who have occupied it. Ind
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Nellie Arthur in the White House
Nellie Arthur, daughter of President Chester Arthur, did not like the White House when she first took residence there in 1881. She found it “too big and lonesome.” In time, though, she would come to love life in the Executive Mansion.1 Ellen Herndon Arthur was born on November 21, 1871 in New York City; older brother Chester, Jr., was born in 1864. Her parents, Ches
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Lou Hoover: Charity in the White House
Following her death in 1944, one newspaper remarked that “Lou Henry Hoover’s life was a full, rich one, which has left its mark on the world.”1 Indeed, Lou Hoover’s extensive philanthropy improved the lives of many people. The scope of her work in charity, however, was not fully known to most Americans at the time, nor is it adequately acknowle
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A Secret Visit
"I wanted to let future generations know the man for what he was, a metaphor of America at a crossroads, not just handsome Jack.”- Aaron Shikler1On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy’s life was tragically cut short in Dallas, Texas. A state funeral was quickly planned and the nation grieved for its commander in chief while the Kennedy fami
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Raccoons at the White House
Many people consider raccoons to be pests and nuisances. These nocturnal mammals are often found rummaging through trash cans, dumpsters, and alleyways, looking for anything of subsistence. Their scavenging can be quite vexing to property owners and tenants, who are left to clean up the messes they leave behind. The staff of the White House and the National Park Service
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White House Pigeons
As any visitor to Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. will tell you, pigeons are a universal feature of the environmental landscape surrounding the White House. One reporter even designated the park across from the White House “almost as famous an abode for pigeons as St. Mark’s Square, Venice.” For many years, however, “carrier” pigeons transported messages for many miles, in