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{
    "localId": "1069207",
    "label": "1976/04/14 - Dedication of the White House Visitors Waiting Area",
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    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1069207"
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{
    "id": "1069207",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1069207",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "1976/04/14 - Dedication of the White House Visitors Waiting Area",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1069207",
    "collections": [
        "Frances K. Pullen Files",
        "Frances Pullen's Speech Reading Copies"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "President (1974-1977 : Ford). Office of the First Lady. 1974-1977"
    ],
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    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1976-04-30",
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        "year": 1976
    },
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        "logicalDate": "1976-04-01",
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        "year": 1976
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    "seq": 1,
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    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/7/692/1069207/content/library/document/0003/1069207.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 3, folder \"Dedication of the White House\nVisitors Waiting Area, April 14, 1976\" of the Frances K. Pullen Papers at the Gerald R.\nFord Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box 3 of the Frances K. Pullen Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nMRS. FORD'S REMARKS\nWHITE HOUSE VISITORS WAITING AREA\nApril 14, 1976\nISN'T THIS A LOVELY DAY.\nI.\nAND WHAT A DELIGHTFUL DAY\nTO HAVE THIS CEREMONY.\nto\n'NOLONIHSYM NJ\nI'VE STOOD IN MANY, MANY LINES,\nINCLUDING THOSE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.\nAND IT'S REALLY GREAT\nTO SEE THESE STANDS\nWHICH MAKE THE WAITING MUCH EASIER.\n3.\nTHE CROWDS SEEM TO GET\nLARGER EVERY YEAR,\nAND, OF COURSE, IN THIS\nOUR BICENTENNIAL YEAR,\nWE EXPECT A RECORD TURNOUT.\nWASHINGTON SUMMERS CAN REALLY BE HOT---\n4.\nNOT ONLY HOT, BUT HOT AND HUMID.\nBUT THESE COVERED STANDS\nSHOULD MAKE YOUR WAITING\nA LOT MORE COMFORTABLE.\n5.\nI CAN REALLY APPRECIATE THE PROBLEMS\nOF STANDING IN LINE WITH CHILDREN,\nTHAT'S WHY I'M so DELIGHTED\nTO KNOW YOU NOW HAVE A PLACE TO SIT DOWN AND REST\nWHILE LISTENING TO\nSOME WONDERFUL ENTERTAINMENT.\n6.\nI WANT TO SAY THANKS\nTO CHAIRMAN ToM STEED,\nREPRESENTATIVE EDWARD BOLAND,\nAND ALL THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS\nWHO SUPPORTED THIS PROJECT---\n7.\nALSO TO THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN\nOF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE\nAND, OF COURSE, TO ALL WHO DONATE\nTHEIR TIME TO ENTERTAIN.\nTHE LARKIN HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS\nFROM ELGIN, illinois\nWILL BE SINGING FOR YOU TODAY.\nI'D LIKE TO PRESENT THEM\nTHIS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION---\nAND TO SAY TO ALL OF YOU---\nENJOY YOUR VISIT TO THIS LOVELY HOUSE.\nIT BELONGS TO YOU.\n9.\nITS HISTORY\nIS THE HISTORY OF AMERICA,\nAND YOUR VISIT\nIS PART OF THE WHITE HOUSE TRADITION\nOF HOSPITALITY.\nWE'RE GLAD YOU'VE COME\nAND WE HOPE YOU'LL COME AGAIN\n# # #\nRemarks, Ellipse Appearance, April 14, 1976\nIt's so good to see all of you. This is my first\nclose look at the new facilities, and\nI'm\nso happy they are here to make your wait more\n1\npleasant.\nthe H is a very special place\nAll of us at the White House\nyour\nvisit\nBecause so\nmemorable one, especially in our Bicentennial Year. With\nmare\nthis year\nso many extra ******* visitors expected, it's really grand\nthese facilities are ready to ease the croud problems.\nThere are some people who deserve thanks:\nChairman Tom Steed and Rep. Edward Boland and the members\nof Congress who supported this project, the dedicated\nmen and women of the National Park Service and those who\ndonated funds or services to arrange these stands and special\nprograms.\nI'm very happy to present a Certificate of Appreciation\nto the Larkin High School Chorus one of the many\noutstanding groups who have volunteered to entertain visitors.\nYou're Washington at such a beautiful season,\nand I hope you enjoy your Bicentennial visit to thexCapitate\nthis lovely city and to the White House the People's House.\n-30-\nRemarks, Ellipse Appearance, April 14, 1976\nYou know in my years in Washington I've stood\nin so many lines with visitors, and it really is\ngrand to think yau these facilities may make waiting\nmore pleasant. We're going to have so many quesxx\npeople from all over the country and abroad, and these\ncandi-cane canopes X should make it cooler.\nYou've really come at the most beautiful time,\nand all of us at the White House hope you enjoy seeing\nthis lovely old pka home. I believe that one of the\nthings that makes the White House so special is the\nfact that so many people come to visit and to share\nsee the rooms where so much history has la taken place.\nAs a former visitor myself, I'd like to thank some\nof the people responsex who've worked\nandp planned to make these facilities possible. These\ninclude Chairman Tom Steed, Rep. Edward Boland and the many\nmembers of Congress who supported this project, the hard-working\nmen and women of the National Park Service and those who\nda donated funds or services to arrange these special programs.\nI think 1976 is a wonderful year to visit Washington\nto celebrate the Bicentennial. So enjoy.\nNow I'd like to present a certificate of appreciation\nto the Larkin High School Chorus of kE Elgin, Illinois\none of the many MMSXEX nusk outstanding groups who xx\nare entertaining visitors this year.\nThanksxex\nKaye\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nApril 9, 1976\nMEMORANDUM TO:\nPETER SORUM\nFROM:\nSUSAN PORTER\nSUBJECT:\nAction Memo\nMrs. Ford has accepted the following out-of-house invitation:\nEVENT: Visit New White House Visitors Waiting Area on the Ellipse\nGUESTS: Congressional Sub-Committees and National Park Service and\nWhite House Visitors Office\nDATE: Wednesday, April 14, 1976\nTIME: 11:00 a.m.\nPLACE: Ellipse\nCONTACT: Mike Farrell, Ext. 2322\nCOMMENTS: To focus attention on the new Visitors Waiting Area designed\nto better accommodate White House visitors during the\nBicentennial, Mrs. Ford will go down to the Ellipse and\nparticipate briefly in recognizing the new arrangement.\nBecause each day while visitors wait at the Ellipse to come\nto the White House a band or other entertainment will be\nprovided, a band will be playing upon Mrs. Ford's arrival.\nShe will briefly greet members of Congress and the Park\nService who have confe, thanking them all for coming and\nin a sense inaugurating the new program. She will also\npresent a certificate to the band. This certificate will\nbe given to each day's entertainment. She will greet a\nfew of the visitors informally and then return to the\nWhite House. It is my understanding that Jack Williams\n(O: 343-6195; H: 333-2243) will do this advance. The file\nis attached. Thank you.\nc: BF Staff\nJack Williams\nF\nRed Cavaney\nWilliam Nicholson\nMike Farrell\nRex Scouten\nStaircase\nAPRIL 6,7,028 7th per BF upstains\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nFebruary 26, 1976\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nSUSAN PORTER\nFROM:\nMIKE FARRELL\nmy\nSUBJECT:\nVisitors Waiting Area, Ellipse\nApril 6, 7 or 8, 1976\n11:00 or 11:30 a.m.\nApril 6, 7 or 8 would be good dates for Mrs. Ford to see the Visitors\nWaiting Area which will be established on the Ellipse beginning\nMarch 16 through October 23. An invitation would be extended to the\nmembers of the Congressional committees which appropriated the\nfunds for this special Bicentennial program to join her. I would\nsuggest the following format.\n1. Mrs. Ford could make brief remarks to the visitors\nassembled in the bleachers. This would provide her\nwith an opportunity to thank the members of the two\ncommittees for their support of this special project\nand would enable her to make some appropriate remarks\nabout the importance of the Bicentennial and to express\nher interest in sharing the White House with the American\npeople.\n2. She could then tour the area and meet the Park Service\nemployees who are running this program.\n3. She could also meet the high school or college band\nwhich will be performing for the visitors at that time\nand express her appreciation for their participation in\nthe Bicentennial program.\nMrs. Ford has indicated that she would like to do this, schedule\npermitting. It would be best to schedule this for early April from\nthe standpoint of inviting the members of the Congressional committees.\n- 2 -\nIf that time should not prove to be convenient for Mrs. Ford, most\nany day, Tuesday through Saturday, later in the spring would be fine\nfor her to drop by the Ellipse.\nI have attached a fact sheet which we have prepared for tours during\n1976 as additional background.\nThank you.\nAttachment\nP\n:\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nSCHEDULE OF WHITE HOUSE TOURS FOR 1976\nTo better accommodate visitors to the White House during our\nBicentennial, the following provides information on tour procedures\nand scheduled events for 1976.\n1. Tuesday, March 16, 1976 - Saturday, October 23, 1976\nA Visitors Waiting Area will be established on the Ellipse\nin cooperation with the National Park Service. During this\nperiod, visitors should proceed to the Ellipse south of the\nWhite House -- not to the East Gate.\n(a) Visiting hours will be Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to\n1:00 p.m. (most days, schedule permitting) and on Saturday\n10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The White House will be closed on\nSunday and Monday.\n(b) Ticket booths will be open at 8:00 a.m. each day, Tuesday\nthrough Saturday. Tickets may be obtained from 8:00 a.m.\nto 12 noon, Tuesday through Friday, and on Saturday from\n8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Each member of a family or a group\nmust obtain a ticket for the tour. Tickets are available the\nday of the tour only.\n(c) Each visitor after being issued a ticket (specifying the time\nof the tour) may either leave the park to visit other attractions\nor choose to view the entertainment program (9:30 a.m. until\n1:00 p.m. most days) on the Ellipse. Bleachers will be\navailable. Visitors will be escorted from the Ellipse to the\nWhite House at the appointed time.\n2. Before March 16 and after October 23, 1976\nThe White House will be open from 10 a.m. to 12 noon Tuesday\nthrough Saturday and closed on Sunday and Monday. Visitors\nshould come to the East Gate on East Executive Avenue.\n3.\nGarden Tours\nAs a special program for the Bicentennial, Mrs. Ford has asked\nthat the gardens and grounds be open to the public on the following\ndays:\nSaturday\nApril 24\nSunday\nApril 25\nSaturday\nMay 29\nSunday\nMay 30\nSaturday\nJune 19\nSunday\nJune 20\nSaturday\nJuly 17\nSunday\nJuly 18\nSaturday\nAugust 7\nSunday\nAugust 8\nSaturday\nSeptember 18\nSunday\nSeptember 19\nSaturday\nOctober 16\nSunday\nOctober 17\nReservations are not required, admission is free. The tour includes\nthe grounds and the State Floor of the White House. Each visitor\nreceives a brochure as a guide to the grounds.\nSpecial Note: On Saturdays the hours will be 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.\nand the Visitors Waiting Area will be used. On Sundays the hours will\nbe 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and the Visitors Waiting Area will not\nbe used. Vísitors should come directly to the East Gate on East\nExecutive Avenue.\n4.\nEaster Egg Roll\nChildren 8 years and younger, accompanied by an adult, are invited\nto participate on Monday, April 19, 1976 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.\nThere will be entertainment and an egg rolling contest. Reservations\nare not required, admission is free. Participants should come to\nthe Southeast Gate which is located at the intersection of East Executive\nAvenue and Alexander Hamilton Place, N.W.\n5.\nHolidays\nThe White House will be open the following Monday holidays:\nMay 31\nMemorial Day\nSeptember 6\nLabor Day\nOctober 11\nColumbus Day\nVisiting hours will be 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Ticket booths on\nthe Ellipse will be open 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon.\nThe White House will be closed the following holidays: New Year's\nDay, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.\nWith best wishes for a most enjoyable visit to our Nation's Capital\nduring the Bicentennial,\nThe White House Visitors Office"
}