You Might Also Like
-
Article
Presidential Inaugurations: Symbolic Gestures
Inaugural ceremonies are huge public events, and both presidents and inaugural planners have recognized their potential for symbolic gestures. James Madison was inaugurated at a time when Americans were developing their own national identity. Demonstrating this emphasis, every item of President Madison’s inaugural outfit was made in the United States, including his silk stockings, manufactured in Massachusetts. With the na
-
Article
Presidential Inaugurations: I Do Solemnly Swear
Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution specifies the oath the president takes in assuming the responsibilities of this highest executive office: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." George Washington
-
Article
Reagan's Second Inauguration
Because the beginning of President Reagan’s and Vice President George H.W. Bush’s second terms, January 20, 1985, fell on a Sunday, President Reagan and Vice President Bush were sworn in for their new terms at the foot of the Grand Staircase in the Entrance Hall of the White House. The following day, intense cold caused the previously scheduled public inau
-
Article
The West Wing: 1900-1924
1902: A White House "restoration" was undertaken. Under Theodore Roosevelt, the 19th-century conservatories were razed, and a new "temporary" executive office building, later called the West Wing, was erected. President Theodore Roosevelt worked in his new rectangular office for the first time on November 5. The first cabinet meeting was held in the new wing on November 6.
-
Article
The West Wing: 1925-1949
1929: Herbert Hoover was the first president to have a telephone installed on his desk on March 27. A fire on Christmas Eve 1929 gutted the executive office building and a reconstruction began immediately.
-
-
Article
The West Wing: 1975-1999
1979: Islamic militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and took Americans hostage. The West Wing once again became a crisis center as President Jimmy Carter and his staff planned a response.
-
Article
The West Wing: 2000-
2001: Terrorists attack the United States on September 11. Once again the West Wing became a logistical center for the nation at war.
-
Article
President's Park: A History of Protest at the White House
President’s Park is approximately 80 acres of urban landscape surrounding the White House. A fence encloses the house, providing 18 acres of gardens and grounds for the first family’s enjoyment. To the south is the Ellipse, the site of National Christmas Tree events. To the north of the White House is a seven-acre plot called Lafayette Park. Named after revolutionary war
-
Article
The Airborne Ambassador
Eighteen years ago when the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was dedicated, President Reagan expressed his dream that it would bring the presidency closer to the American people. The opening of the Air Force One Pavilion at the Reagan Library in 2005 featuring SAM (Special Air Mission) 27000 marked an important milestone in achieving President Reagan’s wish. For President Reagan, nothing better re
-
Article
Ford's Theatre and the White House
The histories of the White House and of Ford’s Theatre are obviously linked by their association with Abraham Lincoln. Their histories conjoined on the spring evening of April 14, 1865, when a popular comedy of the day became a tragic backdrop for a horrific real-life drama of national intrigue and violence. However, they are similar in another way: their respective images in
-
Article
The Press at the White House Overview
In the early months of 1914, reporters who regularly covered the White House became alarmed at rumors that the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents would be entrusted with choosing reporters for a series of regular press conferences being planned by President Woodrow Wilson. Eleven White House reporters responded to the reports by establishing the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) to support “the