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Afternoon Accolades
Since the second inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant in 1873, inaugural reviewing stands— temporary pavilions built in front of the White House for an afternoon’s use—have provided most new presidents the pleasure of reviewing the armed forces of the United States following the inaugural ceremony at the Capitol.1 Over the years the reviewing stands have become more elaborate, as have t
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Article
Inaugural Balls
Three key features characterize nearly every presidential inauguration: the oath of office taken by the president at the Capitol, the inaugural parade, and the inaugural ball. Yet Article II, section 1, of the United States Constitution requires only the first mere 35-word pledge. Although no further instructions were left for subsequent events, celebration has always been an inseparable element. The military
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The Inauguration of Jimmy Carter
The election of Jimmy Carter in 1976 brought deep political and cultural change to the American presidency. A southern Baptist with strong evangelical beliefs, Carter ran as a Washington outsider, promising to restore integrity to the presidency and trust in the federal government. This was evident in the theme of President Carter’s Inauguration, “A New Spirit, A New Commitment, A New
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Article
A Presidential Funeral
Flags lowered. A flag-draped coffin. A stoic first lady on the arm of a military aide. The fly over of twenty one fighter aircraft. Gunfire salutes at military installations across the country. These are the familiar sights and sounds of a state funeral for a modern day American president. With the ceremonies attendant to the passing of President Ford fresh
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Article
The Locomotive Tea Set
The Statue of Liberty that stands in New York Harbor is surely the largest gift from France to this country. A smaller French gift arrived in Richmond during the early years of the Civil War, when the Confederate Capitol felt on top of the world—that the Confederacy might win the war. A decorative tea maker in the shape of a
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The Life and Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
The gilded American bald eagle featured on the 2017 White House Christmas ornament is inspired by the eagle cartouche emblazoned on the speaker’s stand at President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first inauguration, March 4, 1933. With his appearance at that stand, Roosevelt’s remarkable presidential journey began. Three future inaugurations lay ahead—1937, 1941, and 1945. This first of FDR’s inaugurations, however, was to be the las
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The Origins of the American "First Lady"
Article 2 Section 1 of the United States Constitution begins with the following: “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”1 This passage goes on to define the length of the president’s term; how the president will be elected; citizenship and age requirements; presidential succession; compensation; and finally, the presidential oath that all chief execut
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Igor Stravinsky at the White House
President John F. Kennedy entertained many artists at the White House during his administration as a means of expressing his wide-ranging interest in promoting the arts. One of his most notable and intriguing guests arrived on the evening of January 18, 1962, when the president held a dinner in honor of famed Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky. Held at the height of the
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Leonard Bernstein at the Kennedy White House
In November of 1961, two Washington Post columnists hailed President John F. Kennedy as “the best friend culture has had in the White House since Thomas Jefferson.”1 President Kennedy appreciated the arts and demonstrated his dedication to the arts community throughout his administration. He and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy invited the media to cultural events at the White House, highlighting its role
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Article
Music in Lincoln's White House
Abraham Lincoln was one of America’s most unmusical presidents. He could neither play an instrument nor carry a tune, yet he had a passionate love of music. Many times he left the White House during his tenure to attend the opera at Washington theaters, and when duties held him to the mansion, he invited performers to entertain him and hi
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Presidents as Horsemen
The nineteenth century might be called the golden age of the horse. Horsepower pulled plow, canal boat, and wagon to market; horse-drawn stages linked towns; and omnibuses and carriages conveyed people to work within cities, to shop, or to the train station, which, a decade after the Civil War, emerged as the hub of a transcontinental transportation system. Before automobiles,
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Notable Horses
It is difficult to imagine that just one hundred years ago horses were still the primary means of transportation. For some presidents, horses were not just a necessity but also a part of their image. Before photographs, the military presidents, especially, were often portrayed in paintings on horseback. Numerous portraits of George Washington in his role as general during the