By Elyse Werling
In this article, Elyse Werling illustrates a timeline of White House ceremonies and receptions from the James Madison administration to the Barack Obama administration.
by Lauren McGwin
In this article, author Lauren McGwin looks at the complexities surrounding Maria Monroe's limited 1820 wedding invitation list. Although offended when not invited to the wedding, high society was welcomed to a reception at Stephen Decatur's house on the eve of the duel that would take his life.
by William Adair
In this article, William Adair presents the story of elaborate architectural features installed by President Ulysses S. Grant to embellish the East Room for his daughter Nellie Grant's 1875 wedding. Removed during the twentieth century, the relics were recently rediscovered by the author who shares the story of their journey from White House to auction house.
by Bethanee Bemis
In this article, Bethanee Bemis examines how traditions for releasing wedding details to the public have evolved. Included are wedding cake recipes released to the press for the weddings of Luci and Lynda Johnson and Patricia Nixon.
On June 12, 1971, Tricia Nixon, daughter of President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, married Edward Finch Cox in the Rose Garden. In this excerpt from The White House Family Cookbook, which features over 250 recipes, former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller describes creating Tricia Nixon's famous wedding cake.
Read Digital VersionForeword: Absorbing the Reality and Imagining More by Marcia Mallet AndersonHow Television Depicts U.S. Presidents and the White House by Kenneth T. WalshTelevision Comes to the White House to Stay by Rebecca Durgin KerrThe West Wing Takes Television into the White House: Behind-the-Scenes Memories of the Reinvention of Political Theater by Marc FreemanGetting to Sesame Street with
The White House Historical Association convened in Washington, D.C. for the 2023 Presidential Sites Summit. The theme “Change and Continuity” highlighted how presidential sites and organizations can prepare the next generation of site leaders while recognizing our critical role in preserving our country’s history.
This gathering brought together participants from around the country to discuss key issues facing presidential sites
Join the White House Historical Association and the DC History Center to explore local history and classroom connections through the Teach the District (TTD) program.
Teach the District is an immersive, five-day teacher professional development program that will be hosted in person, July 24-28, 2023. This program brings history to life through exploration of local stories and incorporates ideas for civic
Curled up on the living room floor, eyes full of anticipation, I awaited the results of the 2012 presidential election. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were familiar, as I had met both as a little girl attending the Iowa caucuses. While waiting to see if they would serve another four years, I was also waiting patiently to see
The White House Historical Associationcommissions the official White House Christmas ornament each year. This is the 36th ornamentin the series begun in 1981. The ornament honors 31st U.S.President Herbert Hoover and is inspired by the fire engines that responded tothe 1929 Christmas Eve fire at the White House and the toy trucks presented tochildren by the Hoovers the following Christmas.
Read Digital VersionForeword: Celebrating Sixty Years by Marcia Mallet AndersonThe Stage is Set: Washington D.C., 1961In the Beginning: The Founders Remember the Creating of the White House Historical Association by Mary Jo BinkerThe Kennedy Restoration: Historic Interiors with a Past for the Present ... and Future by James Archer Abbott and Elaine Rice BachmannSixty Years, Twelve Visionaries: Fulfilling the White
Explore this reading list to discover exciting titles related to all sorts of Easter and springtime topics including the White House Easter Egg Roll, gardening, and playing outdoors! Some books on this list will also help you gain more knowledge about the history of the White House and how it’s come to be one of America’s most important symb