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White House 200th Anniversary Book [binder] [1]
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White House 200th Anniversary Book [binder] [1]
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Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration)
Alison (Lissa) Muscatine's Press Office Files
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Domestic Trips and Events
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Office of the First Lady
Press Office
Files of Lissa Muscatine
Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Communications to the First Lady
Contents: Binders
Archived from OEOB 103 by Gayleen Dalsimer on January 17, 2001
Box 10 of 12
Press Booklet for Gayleen Dalsimer
Media Requests
Photo Requests
HRC Bio/Record
Area Codes
Phone Numbers
Tours
Letter Samples
Fundraisers
Entertainers
Chelsea
Curators
Oversize Attachments # 19598 23215
White House 200th Anniversary Book
HRC Schedule
Presidential Materials Staff
HRC Event Lists 1993-2000
WHCA Tape Directory
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a publication.
Publications have not been scanned in their entirety for the purpose
of digitization. To see the full publication please search online or
visit the Clinton Presidential Library's Research Room.
THE WHITE HOUSE
1800-2000
nu
DMI
20000
EXHIBITS, LECTURES, PUBLICATIONS,
TOURS & FILMS
The White House 200th Anniversary
1
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a publication.
Publications have not been scanned in their entirety for the purpose
of digitization. To see the full publication please search online or
visit the Clinton Presidential Library's Research Room.
THE WHITE HOUSE
1800-2000
⑉⑆
73351
mn
PARKS
JAN
EXHIBITS, LECTURES, PUBLICATIONS,
TOURS & FILMS
[email protected] -
PBS
Ed Hotaling
NBC
202-244-2484 (home)
885-4111 (work)
fax. 885-4104 = put name
Edhotaling@ aol.com
[1> House stuff
200th ceremony
AVEX GIUESPIT
DSN
Previous editions usable
TIME
YOU WERE VISITED BY-
IS WAITING TO SEE YOU
WISHES AN APPOINTMENT
OPTIONAL FORM 363 (Rev. 7-94)
General Services Administration
Fox BRUADCASTING CO.
1211 AVENHEOF THE
DATE
NY NY 10036
01
(Enter area code,
if necessary)
WH HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
MEMORANDUM
OF CALL
YOU WERE CALLED BY-
OF (Organization)
PLEASE PHONE
WILL CALL AGAIN
RETURNED YOUR CALL
INFO ON
MESSAGE
RECEIVED BY
NSN 7540-00-634-4018
200TH ANMULESARY
50363-111
UNICOR FPI-SST
TO:
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
Facts
Divider Title:
THE WHITE HOUSE
ADDRESS: 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20500
DIMENSIONS: 168 X 85.5 X 60
SQ FT: 13,440/FLOOR (5)
E/W N/S UP
TOTAL: 67,200 SQ FT.APPROX.
DESIGNED BY: JAMES HOBAN, IRISH BORN ARCHITECT
CORNERSTONE LAID: OCTOBER 13, 1792
FIRST OCCUPIED: NOV. 1, 1800 BY: PRESIDENT JOHN ADAMS
CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL: SANDSTONE FROM AQUIA CREEK, VIRGINIA
BRICK MADE ON SITE.
COST: $232,371.83
BURNED: AUG. 24, 1814 BY BRITISH TROOPS.
THE FIRE DESTROYED THE INTERIOR BUT LEFT THE
EXTERIOR WALLS STANDING BUT BADLY DAMAGED.
REBUILT: 1815 TO 1817 (MONROES RETURNED SEPT. 1817)
COST: $236,490.00
RENOVATED: 1902 BY MCKIM, MEAD & WHITE OF NYC (T. ROOSEVELT)
COST: $343,945.00
RENOVATED: DEC. 7, 1949 TO MAR 27, 1952 BY ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS (TRUMAN)
COST: $5,761,000.00 (VACATED BY THE TRUMANS 11/48)
ROOF CONSTRUCTION: SLATE
STATISTICAL INFORMATION:
5 MAJOR FLOORS
APPROX. 570 GAL TO PAINT
3 MEZZANINES
EXTERIOR WALLS
132 ROOMS (34 BATHROOM/LAVATORIES)
28 FIREPLACES
116
WINDOWS
412 DOORS
12 CHIMNEYS
3 ELEVATORS
Bedrooms
2 DUMBWAITERS
2 SIDEWALK LIFTS
7 STAIRCASES
13
elevor
THE WHITE house
WASHINGTON
Office of the Curator
White House Architecture - A Chronology
1791 - Site selected by President George Washington.
1792 - James Hoban selected as design competition winner.
- Masonic cornerstone ceremony (Washington not present).
1793 - Redesigning by Hoban to reduce building's height by one
story. Walls above ground floor in brick with stone
facings.
1798 - Exterior whitewashed.
1800 - Unfinished building occupied by President John Adams.
1805-1808 - East and west terraces by Benjamin Latrobe after
sketches by President Thomas Jefferson.
1814 - Burning of the President's House by the British.
1815 - James Hoban appointed to rebuild.
1816 - Greater deterioration to exterior walls than expected,
necessitating significant demolition.
1817 - Exterior painted with lead paint.
- President James Monroe moved into incomplete building.
1824 - South Portico constructed on 1817 foundations.
1829-1830 - North Portico constructed on 1817 foundations.
1833 - First piped-in water, with bathing room in east terrace.
1840 - Hot-air furnace installed in Ground Floor oval room to
heat State Floor and Second Floor hall.
1848 - Installation of gas lighting.
1853 - New water-heated forced-air heating system.
- Central plumbing of bathing room in private quarters.
1857 - New greenhouse built atop west terrace.
1866 - Telegraph installed in office suite on Second Floor.
- East terrace demolished; broader porch added across east
side at Ground Floor level.
1879 - Telephone added to Telegraph Room.
1881 - Hydraulic elevator (converted to electricity 1897).
1882 - Proposal to demolish the White House and build a replica
office structure and a similar residence with a
connecting hall failed for lack of funding.
1889 - Enlargement plan by Frederick D. Owen for Mrs. Caroline
Harrison - quadrangle with flanking wings and
greenhouse. She hoped the project would be completed
for the 1892 centenary, but it failed for lack of
funding in 1891.
1891 - Electric lighting installed by Edison General Co.
1900 - Corps of Engineers plan for enlargement with rotunda
extensions, a reduction by Frederick Owen of his plan
for Mrs. Harrison.
1901 - President Theodore Roosevelt changed the official name to
the "White House".
1902 - Theodore Roosevelt Renovation by McKim, Mead & White
much of the interior gutted to wooden framing;
enlargement of State Dining Room by removal of west
staircase; new utilities;
additional bedrooms and bathrooms on the Second Floor
with the removal of the offices;
new, but "temporary" Executive Office Building attached
to the west terrace uncovered by the removal of
the greenhouses;
rebuilding of the east terrace as guest entrance.
1909 - The West Wing office building doubled in size by a
southern extension, including the first presidential
Oval Office at the center - Nathan C. Wyeth.
1913 - The Third Floor attic converted by Nathan C. Wyeth
into guest bedrooms.
1927 - Replacement of 1817 roof structure and creation of a
fuller Third Floor.
1930 - Major repairs to the West Wing office building, after it
was badly damaged in a fire on Christmas Eve, 1929.
1933 - Swimming pool installed in west terrace.
1934 - Expansion and rebuilding of the West Wing office building
by Eric Gugler -
new Oval Office and Cabinet Room in east extension;
creation of second floor behind the balustrade;
central air-conditioning.
1935 - Underground storage and shop facilities added under North
Grounds; kitchen remodeled.
1942 - East Wing office building, including bomb shelter, built
by Lorenzo Winslow; movie theater in east terrace.
1945 - Expansion of West Wing office building designed by Lorenzo
Winslow; funds appropriated were rescinded by Congress
in 1946 after public uproar.
1948 - "Truman Balcony" added by Lorenzo Winslow and William
Adams Delano to much public criticism.
1948-1952 - Truman Renovation
1948 - Structural study. Trumans moved into Blair House.
1949 - Funding of full renovation.
1950 - Dismantling, leaving stone walls intact.
- Excavation of two underground levels.
1951 - Reconstruction to designs by Lorenzo Winslow.
- New utilities, including central air-conditioning.
1952 - Trumans returned.
1969 - Swimming pool replaced by press center in west terrace.
- Porte cochere added to north side of West Wing.
1975 - Outdoor swimming pool constructed.
1978-1995 - Exterior paint removal and stone restoration project.
1984 - Visitor's Entrance built south of the East Wing.
White House Facts
Entire house is 67,000 Sq. Ft.
Grounds: 18.7 acres
132 rooms (including utils.)
3 gardens (Rose Garden, Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Children's Garden)
1-lane bowling alley
1 family theater with 47 seats
Under Clinton Administration in the Clinton's private quarters:
45 rooms
12 bedrooms
16 bathrooms
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
WHITE HOUSE ACQUISITIONS
1996-present
FINE ARTS
Portraits
JOHN F. KENNEDY, 1917-1963.
William Franklin Draper, 1912-
Oil on canvas, 1962,
30 X 25 1/16.
Gift of the White House Historical Association.
996.1764.1
Other Paintings and Prints
CHILDE HASSAM, 1859-1935.
Seascape; oil on canvas, 1900, 18 3/16 x 22 in.
Bequest of Alice Tully.
996.1768.1
CHILDE HASSAM, 1859-1935.
Street Scene in Winter (Snowstorm, New York);
oil on canvas, 1901, 16 1/2 X 12 1/2 in.
Bequest of Alice Tully.
996.1767.1
GEORGIA O'KEEFFE, 1887-1986.
Bear Lake, New Mexico; oil on canvas, 1930, 30 x 40 in.
Gift of William D. Rollnick and Nancy Ellison Rollnick and
the Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation
997.1770.1
White House Scenes
ALBERT BERGHAUS, ?-?.
Miss Lanes Reception; pencil on paper, 1860-1861,
6 7/8 X 10 1/8 in. Southeast view of the Blue Room, with
illustrator's notes front and reverse; President James Buchanan's
niece/hostess Harriet Lane at center.
Gift of the White House Historical Association.
996.1763.1
JOSEPH PENNELL, 1860-1926.
The Cabinet Room.; ink on paper, 1881, 10 1/4 X 16.
Northeast view of the current Treaty Room with the Grant cabinet
table and chairs at center.
White House Acquisition Fund.
996.1761.1
GUY C. WIGGINS, 1883-1962.
The White House in Spring; oil on canvas, c.1940,
24 1/2 X 29 1/2. South view.
White House Acquisition Fund.
996.1762.1
8-06-1997 12:12PM
FROM EXEC. RES. CURATORS
MEMORABILIA AND EPHEMERA
BOOKENDS, pair, plaster and pine, c.1950, Washington, D.C.
Materials removed during the Truman Renovation; scrolled
acanthus-faced white-painted plaster modillion from the 1902
ceiling of the State Dining Room; base of unfinished old White
House pine bearing official brass souvenir plaque.
Gift of William G. Allman, in memory of Milton B. Allman.
996.1760.1-2
FURNITURE
CARD TABLE, mahogany, c.1815-1820, Boston or Salem.
D-shaped swivel top; spread-winged eagle pedestal; abacus plinth
on winged paw feet; mate to or from same shop as 972.898.1.
White House Acquisition Fund.
996.1769.1
LIGHTING FIXTURES
SINUMBRA LAMPS, pair, painted and gilded brass, iron, and cut
and frosted glass, c.1825, France.
Gilded urn capital on green reeded shaft on gilded vasiform base;
octagonal iron plinth; frosted vasiform glass shade with clear
leaf-cut and hatched reserves.
Gift of the White House Historical Association.
997.1772.1-2
CERAMICS
DESSERT PLATE, porcelain, 1846, Paris, France,
by Edouard D. Honore.
Apple green rim with raised scalloped edge; reserve with
shield of the United States; white center painted with roses.
From the state service of President JAMES K. POLK.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Walsh.
997.1771.1
SERVICE PLATES, porcelain, 1995-1996, Pomona, New Jersey, Lenox.
Reproductions of Woodrow Wilson State Service plates made by
Lenox in 1918; 139 ordered to raise usable quantities to 220;
cobalt blue rim; gilt Presidential Arms at center.
Gift of the White House Endowment Fund.
996.1766.1
METALWARE
TRAYS, set of 12, silver, 1996, Baltimore, by Kirk Stieff.
Simple oblong octagonal body; customized handles - spread-winged
eagle perched on edge with classical oak and laurel at talons;
face engraved "President's House".
Gift of the White House Historical Association. P96.M03800.1-12
Enterntainment Facts:
First Motion Picture at the White House
Birth of a Nation
NOT
1916
STAN THEATER
Wilson Administration
IN
White House Theater
65"X18"
51 Seats
East Colonade
fan windows, covered by drapes
Theater built in 1942 (FDR)
x61655
Atlants Constitution
Allanta Journal
WASHINGTON BUREAU
Ausin American-Statesman
COX
Chardier Antonan
Dayton Daty News
2000 Pennsylvania Avenue. N W, Suite 10000
Giben Thoure
Wathington, DC 2000s 1894
Grand Junction Daily Services
Tel 202 351-0900. Telex **0105 COXEU UI
Longrew News-Journal
NEWSPAPERS
Fax 331-1055
Lulkon Daily News
Mess Tnture
331-0900
Nacogdoches Daily Senzel
Paim Beach Daily New
my direct line 887-8320
Pain Beach POST
Soungleld News.Sun
Tempe Daily News
Waco Thours.Heraid
Yuma Daty Sun
New York Times News Serves
Fax Message Cover Page
TO: (ORGANIZATION) Julie Mason, Fust Lady's office
ATTN:
FAX NUMBER CALLED: 202-456-7805
FROM: Samar Abulhassan / Deans
DATE: Fri July 31
TIME: 11:15 a.m
NUMBER OF PAGES BEING SENT (INCLUDING THIS PAGE): 5
SUBJECT OR COMMENTS:
331-1255
Fax number from which this message was sent:
(202) 331-1055.
Questions concerning this fax transmission:
(202) 887-8301.
D
100 'd
TEL:2023311055
JUL.-31'98(FRI) 10:10 COX NEWS PAPERS
9"cox-iuliemason"- Page #1 Fridav. July 31. 1998 11:09 A
To: J. Mason
From: Samar Abulhassan, Cox News Service direct: (202) 887-8320
main: 331-0900
Thanks in advance for helping us with this. I realize some of the answers to
these questions may be handy; many may not be. Nevertheless, here are
some questions Bob and I brainstormed. We're envisioning a "day in the life"
of the White House kind of story -- with lots of quirky details. If you could
provide phone numbers in cases where the info is not available, that would
be greatly appreciated.
Finally, if you could recommend a few people who work at the White House
to talk to- i.e., groundskeeper, correspondent, to add color to the story,
that would be great.
I'm standing by.
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
How does his day begin? When does the president wake up each day? Who
wakes him? What is the first thing he does each day?
A.
KEY STAFF (How would you divide the staff, i.e., how many interns?)
1. How many people work at the White House?
a. residence:
b. West Wing:
c. Old Executive Office Building:
christine comerford
- Watterscheib
Tearm ch west chef
Francle McCulloch
B. FOOD - Johnmolther
Roland Monier
\
raper Lasst chefs
president
1. Chefs (how many; who are they; what hours do they work; where do
they come from; how are they trained?)
2. Supplies (where does fresh produce, meat and other foods come
- Shorburt Dfrult
- healthy
002 'd
TEL 2023311055
JUL.-31'98(FRI) 10:11 COX NEWS PAPERS
330/863-7220
330-863-7223
from daily, who gets it, how do they pay for it?)
3. How is the menu planned? How much input does Clinton have? What
do the chefs say about Clinton? Favorite foods? Comfort food - what does
he want on a bad day?
4. When is he served? Regular times? And where?
state dinners
1. Who oversees these? Capricia Marchah social secretars
2. How many, roughly, per year? 3 in 197 Canada, Chile, China)
3. How many guests, how are they chosen? (198 Haly, (zea.)
C. VALET
1. Clothes and shoes: who takes care of them? Does Clinton select what
he'll wear, pick out his own ties? Laundry? Dry cleaning? Done inside or out?
D
COMMUNICATIONS
a. telephones: operators, switchboards - why have one? how many,
who are they? Caller id?
b. How many calls does the WH receive each day?
or
OEOB 5,000 /day
15 operators.
2 in middle
E TRANSPORTATION
ZTNO aday
of night
a. how many vehicles are in the White House fleet? Where are they
garaged and who keeps them running?
How old are they? le: how
long would a WH car be kept on the road? Where are they gassed?
F.
ENTERTAINMENT
51 (65x18') East collonade
1st movie@ wit (Birth fa Natir 1916/wilson)
a. There's a small theater for viewings of movies and the like? How
many does it seat? What's in the collection? How many movies, or is there a
library off-site he can draw from?
9"cox-iuliemason"- Page #2 Fridav. Julv 31. 1998 11:09 A
2
003 'd
TEL:2023311055
JUL.-31'98(FRI) 10:11 COX NEWS PAPERS
If Clinton wakes up at 2 a.m. and suddenly decides he wants sushi and
a Kurasawa movie, who makes it happen?
G. MAIL
a. How much comes in a day; how much of that is for the president, as
opposed to staff, and how much does he actually ever see? Who reads the
rest? (he has a staff of correspondents: how many)
H COMPUTERS
a. how many, who maintains them and what happens when Clinton's PC
crashes (is there a systems manager?)
1.
LIBRARY: Is there one? staff; size, number of volumes, kinds of books.
J
GYM -
Is there one? Does Clinton work out? When, where and is there a staff?
$421month
K
MEDICAL FACILITIES
$9913 mos
House doctor: what medical facilities, if any, are on site?
$312,year-
L. FIOWERS
4
Blair OCC.
How large is the floral staff? What's involved? What kind of flowers/color/
preferences? When do they come in?
50 Vol. @ Xmar
budget of flowers
greening of W.H.
(II (11 partime)7
H. SECONDARY
A TOURISTS
6,000/day
summer December Jan$Feb
1. how many people come per day -when's the busiest/quietest season?
2. Who in the WH heads up the tourist operation, how large a staff is
needed?
3. Earlier this year a tourist sprayed paint on a bust, I believe in the
Roosevelt room. Is vandalism a common problem or a rare occurrence?
What's done to keep it in check? Do tourists, in general, take a toll?
III. PHYSICAL: (residence) (Is there an office that handles architectural and
9"cox-iuliemason"- Page #3 Fridav. Julv 31. 1998 11:09 A
3
P. 004
2023311055
JUL. -31' (FRI) 10:11 COX NEWS PAPERS
engineering for the White House?) ushabofr
A. Architectural - How much of this is really the Clinton's White House,
and how much of it is this institutional government building they're living in
temporarily?
1. How big is the White House?
2. When was it built, roughly which, if any, systems are original? What
kind of upgrading or renovating might now be underway?
3. How many windows, how many feet of plumbing or what does it take
to keep the place cool?
4. How many bathrooms?
MAINTENANCE
SON
1. What about mice and other pests? Who takes care of such
problems?
2. Custodial staff: How many? How many WH staffers does it take to
change a lightbulb?
3. The grounds: how many groundskeepers? Is there a White House
Ban exces staff 600NS 100ml.
horticulturist, or is that done through some other department (Ag). What
about the trees? How is the WH lawn tended -- i.e., mulch or fertilizer? How
often do they seed? Blowers or rakes?
fall
How are ground responsibilities divided NPS up? Is the Rose Garden
tended by the same staff, for example?
SECURITY usss Public Affairs
1. Who protects the WH? How large is the staff? Where are they
stationed?
1682850
am
OPOOl indoor?
4355708
9"cox-iuliemason"- Page #4 Fridav. Julv 31. 1998 11:09 A
4
$00 'd
TEL:2023311055
JUL.-31'98(FRI) 10:11 COX NEWS PAPERS
Who
A.
Key Staff (How would you divide the staff, i.e., how many interns)
wrote these??
How many people work in the White House?
a. Residence?
b. West Wing?
c. Old Executive Office Building?
The White House Office is authorized 400 Full Time Equivalents (FTE's) by the Congress. The
National Park Service oversees the Residence staff. White House Office employees are located
in both the West and East Wings of the White House, as well as the Old Executive Office
Building.
WW,OEOB
D.
Communications
Telephones: operators, switchboards - why have one? How many, who are they? Caller ID?
How many calls does the White House receive each day?
The telephone operators receive approximately 5,000 calls a day. There are a total of 15
operators that answer the phones (456-1414).
E.
Transportation
How many vehicles are in the White House fleet? Where are they garaged and who keeps them
running? How old are they? How long would a WH car be kept on the road? Where are they
gassed?
The White House Transportation Agency maintains a small fleet of vehicles that enable it to
meet its mission of providing transportation services to the White House staff. The vehicles are
american The
garaged in a location in close proximity to the White House.
current vehicles are 1998 model year vehicles. Most vehicles are used for a three year
period. The vehicles receive its fuel through routine government supply channels.
leased?
H.
Computers
How many, who maintains them and what happens when Clinton's PC crashes (is there a
systems manager?)
OMB CEA, ONDCP,
The Executive Office of the President (EOP) and the White House operate more than 2,000
personal computers in support of EOP agencies' missions. The White House alone has more
than 440 computers in operation on a daily basis. The Office of Administration is chartered to
provide all aspects of information system support to the EOP, and its Information Systems and
Technology Division executes this charter. A highly skilled team of go vernment staff and
contractors keep all computer systems up and running, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a
year
over govt
Contracton
#
50
(30)
I.
Library
Is there one? Staff; size; number of volumes, kinds of books.
The Library and Research Services Division of the Office of Administration provides a full range
of library and information services for the Executive Office of the President. In addition, the
library staff offers expert assistance with research and information management. The status of
pending legislation, background information on a particular subject, biographical or corporate
520
information, verification of facts, professional journal articles, and much more are available from
two general reference libraries and a law library. The total number of volumes contained in
these libraries is over 67,000 books and
NEOB
where publications. where ? Statt#?
J.
Gym
5ᵗʰflook (warDept
Is there one? Does Clinton work out? When, where and is there a staff?
Library)
The White House Athletic Center (WHAC) is an employee-financed health Card and fitness facility
serving all staff of the EOP complex, including detailees, contractors, interns, and the United
States Secret Service.
K.
Medical Facilities
House doctor: what medical facilities, if any, are on site?
The White House Medical Unit staffs an outpatient clinic with doctors, nurses, physician
assistants and medics. Most of the care given to patients is in the form of immunizations prior to
overseas trips, emergency care for staff assisting the President and Vice President both locally
and abroad.
Medical care is provided to the President and his family, and the Vice President and his family.
The Medical Unit also travels around the world before the President/Vice President make the trip
to study illnesses of the country and talk to foreign doctors to see how care is given in their
country.
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
[ BLANK ]
Divider Title:
12-01-2000 10:42AM FROM EXEC. RES. CURATORS 2024566820
P.2
CHILDREN REPRESENTED IN THE WHITE HOUSE CHILDREN'S GARDEN
JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Patrick Lyndon Nugent
Lucinda Desha Robb
CARTER ADMINISTRATION
James Earl Carter IV
Jason James Carter
Sarah Rosemary Carter
BUSH ADMINISTRATION
Jenna Bush
Barbara Bush
George P. Bush
Noelle Bush
Jebby Bush
Lauren Bush
Pierce Bush
Ashley Bush
Marshall Bush
Walker Bush
Sam LeBlond
Ellie LeBlond
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: LISA CAPUTO
JANUARY 31, 1995
NEEL LATTIMORE
page 1 of 2
KAREN FINNEY
202-456-2960
THE COMMITTEE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF
THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF
BLUE ROOM RENOVATIONS AND REFURBISHING
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Committee for The Preservation of The White
House today announced the completion of the renovation and
refurbishing of the White House's Blue Room. The refurbishing
was governed by the historic French objects purchased by
President James Monroe in 1817. The process for the renovation
and refurbishing of the Blue Room began in 1990 when the
committee recommended that the room be refurbished.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton serves as honorary chair of the
committee and was actively involved in the refurbishing project.
Mrs. Clinton first met with the Committee in November of 1993.
Working with a committee of historians, curators and designers,
the First Lady took an active approach in the renovation process.
The First Lady reviewed the committee's recommendations for the
sapphire blue fabric and the gold wall covering, and met with the
White House curators to discuss fabric samples, textures and the
importance of maintaining the period style of the room.
The Blue Room is one of three oval rooms in the White House and
is located on the State Floor. The room, seen by 1.2 million
visitors a year, was last refurbished in 1972. The draperies and
furniture upholstery had become soiled, worn and sun damaged and
needed to be replaced, as did the badly worn mid-nineteenth
century Chinese carpet which has been in the room since 1975.
The sapphire blue fabric used for the draperies and furniture
covering is similar in color to fabric used in the room in the
1800's. The silk upholstery fabric retains the gold eagle
medallion on the chair backs which was adapted from the depiction
of one of the Monroe-era chairs in a portrait of President James
Monroe. The Monroe-era furniture, consisting of seven original
chairs and four reproductions and a sofa, was upholstered by
Nelson Beck of Washington, DC. (The portrait of President James
Monroe by John Vanderlyn is owned by the City of New York and
hangs in the City Hall.)
The blue satin draperies have a blue and gold tape adapted from
the wallpaper frieze. The drapery valances are blue and gold.
The silk fabrics were made by Scalamandre Silks, Inc., of New
York, New York. The draperies are the same design as the
previous draperies
-more-
Blue Room - Preservation Committee
page 2 of 2
which were derived from an early 19th century French source. The
curtains were constructed by Nelson Beck of Washington, DC.
The walls have been hung with a light gold paper, which has
alternating classic motifs in a darker gold. The design is
adapted from an early 19th century American paper in the
collection of the Society for the Preservation of New England
Antiquities in Boston, Massachusetts. The borders are adapted
from two early 19th century French papers in the collection of
the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, the Smithsonian
Institution, in New York. The upper border is a blue drapery
swag with gold classical motifs; the lower border along the chair
rail has a blue and gold pattern with rosettes. The wall paper
was made by Brunschwig & Fils of New York, New York.
The room has been painted and gilded to reflect the style of
finish found in an American room of the first quarter of the 19th
century. The wainscoting, door surrounds and window reveals,
received extensive conservation to redefine their detailing. The
woodwork has been painted white with a rubbed paint finish giving
the wood a "porcelain" appearance. The faux marble painted on
the baseboards has been removed to reveal the white marble
installed in the Truman era. The acanthus leaves in the cornice
and in the ceiling medallion have been gilded, as have the three
lines of molding in the cornice.
A major component of the project was the preservation and
conservation of the historic furnishings in the room and of the
early 19th century American "looking glass" which hangs over the
mantel. This part of the project involved repairs and partial
regilding of the items. Retained in the room are the French
gilded bronze clock and a mahogany center table. Two 19th
century pier tables and two pieces of sculpture - the marble
busts of Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci - were added
to the room.
A carpet, based on early 19th century designs, is being made for
the room and is expected to be installed in the room this spring.
The carpet is being made by the Stark Carpet Company of New York,
New York.
###
attached: committee list
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Blue Room will be officially unveiled on
February 17 at the meeting of the Committee for the Preservation
of the White House. There will be a press preview of the room
and a opportunity to talk with the First Lady and the individuals
involved in the renovation and refurbishing project at that time.
Space for this press preview is limited. Please contact the
First Lady's Press Office if you would like to cover this event -
202-456-2960.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Office of the Curator
January 1995
THE BLUE ROOM
History
White House architect James Hoban's 1792 plans for the
"President's House" noted that the first floor oval room was to
be the most elegant of the formal State Rooms. For John Adams
and Thomas Jefferson, however, the room served as the principal
entrance, its windows opening to wooden stairs which led to the
south grounds.
It was not until 1809 that the room became the principal
formal drawing room of the White House when it was completely
furnished by Dolley Madison and Benjamin Latrobe. The Madisons
received their guests there on New Year's Day in 1810 in what was
then called the "Oval Drawing Room." Among the objects which
Dolley Madison had removed to safety before evacuating the house
in 1814 were the red velvet draperies hanging in this room.
In the refurnishing of the house after the fire of 1814,
the Monroes ordered mahogany furniture for this room, but the
purchasing agents in France substituted a 53-piece suite of
gilded furniture made in Paris by Pierre-Antoine Bellange.
Although most of this suite was sold at auction in 1860,
eight original pieces have been returned to the room since 1961.
The room was known by its shape - "Elliptical", "Oval", or
"Circular" - until the color was changed to blue in 1837 under
Martin Van Buren. It then became the "Blue Room," although it
was called the "Violet Blue Parlor" under the Grants and the
"Robin's Egg Blue Room" after Chester Arthur's redecoration.
The room has been the scene of many family celebrations.
Two of President Hayes' children were christened there in 1877.
In 1886, the only President to be married in the White House,
Grover Cleveland, was joined in marriage to his former ward,
Frances Folsom, in a Blue Room ceremony. In this century Woodrow
Wilson's daughter, Eleanor, was also married in the room.
Although special meetings, luncheons, and dinners have been
held in the room, throughout the years it has continued to be
used for the purpose first intended - the formal reception room
of the White House. It is here that the President and his wife
often receive guests during State receptions and where the
credentials of foreign ambassadors have been presented to the
President. The first Chinese delegation to present credentials
-2-
to an American President was received by President Hayes in the
Blue Room in 1878. Since 1961 (excepting 1962 and 1969), the
principal White House Christmas tree has been placed in the
center of the room.
The room was refurbished in 1963 (Kennedy), utilizing the
three original Bellange chairs (one arm, two side) which had been
reacquired for the White House collection in 1961-62 and eleven
reproductions (seven arm, four side) made in 1962. All of the
chairs were upholstered in a aquamarine silk with a cream-colored
eagle medallion based on the upholstery on an oval-back Monroe-
era chair depicted in a portrait of President Monroe by John
Vanderlyn (City of New York). Since many White House walls in
the early 19th century were painted or papered in light colors,
the dark blue wall cloth from the Truman Renovation was replaced
with a striped off-white fabric.
The room was refurbished again in 1972 (Nixon). The
upholstery design was modified on a new silk fabric of a deeper
color used on the Bellange chairs, which now included three
additional original armchairs and the bergère. New draperies
based on early-19th-century French sources were installed.
The walls were covered with a wallpaper derived from a French
fragment, 1800, probably made by Jacquemart et Benard. The
ceiling medallion and cornice were replaced, based on examples
from local houses contemporary with the Monroe White House.
In 1975, an oval blue Chinese rug was acquired, complementing
the shape of the room. In 1981, one of two original curved-frame
Bellange sofas, acquired in 1978, was added to the room's
furnishings.
For the 1995 refurbishing, the Committee for the
Preservation of the White House selected a darker, sapphire blue
for the silk upholstery fabric which repeated the previous gold
eagle medallion design derived from a chair in the portrait of
President Monroe. The draperies, retaining the 1972 design
derived from early-19th-century French sources, are of a plain
sapphire satin trimmed with a blue and gold tape adapted from
the wallpaper frieze and topped by blue and gold valances.
All fabrics were made by Scalamandre Silks, Inc., New York.
The walls have been hung with a light gold ground paper,
bearing alternating classical medallions in a darker gold,
adapted from an early-19th-century American paper, probably
copied from a French paper, in the collection of the Society
for the Preservation of New England Antiquities in Boston.
The borders are adapted from two early-19th-century French papers
in the collection of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum,
the Smithsonian Institution, in New York. The upper border is
a blue drapery swag with gold classical motifs; the lower border
along the chair rail has a blue and gold pattern with rosettes.
This wallpaper was made by Brunschwig & Fils, New York. French
papers were used in the White House throughout the 19th century.
In fact, President Monroe ordered five cases of paper from France
in 1817.
-3-
A carpet based on early-19th-century designs is being made
for the room. (The mid-19th-century Chinese carpet which had
been in the room since 1975 was badly worn and had to be
replaced.) The new carpet is expected to be installed in April.
The room has been painted and gilded to reflect the finishes
in an American room of the first quarter of the 19th century.
The acanthus leaves and three lines in the cornice have been
gilded, as have the leaves and pearls in the ceiling medallion.
[There is documentation of architectural gilding in the White
House as early as 1817 (the Cross Hall) and 1830 (the East
Room) The wainscoting, door surrounds, windows and reveals,
which have received extensive conservation redefining their
details, have been painted white and rubbed to a "porcelain"
finish. The faux marble paint on the baseboards has been removed
to reveal the white marble installed in the Truman era.
The White House Endowment Fund has contributed the funds to
pay for the 1995 renovation and refurbishment of the Blue Room.
9-08-2000 48AM
FROM EXEC. RES. CURATORS 2024566820
P.3
September 2000
RED ROOM REFURBISHMENT/ NEW ACQUISITIONS
At the recommendation of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, the Red
Room has been refurbished with fresh silk-and-wool fabrics matching those installed in 1971,
the last time the room was refurbished. The walls have been recovered in plain red, with the
wide red-and-gold ornamental border originally used along the cornice added along the chair rail
as well. New draperies have been made to the 1971 design based on early 19th century European.
precedents. The sofas and armchairs have been freshly upholstered. Funds for this work have
been provided by the White House Endowment Trust of the White House Historical Association.
Two new acquisitions, donations from the White House Acquisition Trust of the White House
Historical Association, have been placed in the room. Between the windows is a tall mahogany
desk and bookcase with a cylinder desk section atop a pier-table-form base, made in New York,
circa 1830. On the mantel have been installed a pair of small, elegant French gilded porcelain
vases, circa 1820, painted with likenesses of George Washington and John Adams. These were
acquired to honor the 200th anniversary of President Adams occupying the White House in
November 1800. They have been joined by a pair of French candelabra received with the mantel
clock as a gift from the president of France in 1952.
A few paintings have also been changed. The Severin Roesen still life paintings have been
removed from the north wall and have been replaced by two American landscapes - Castle Rock,
Nahant, Massachusetts by Alfred Bricher, 1877, and Florida Sunrise by Martin Johnson Heade,
c. 1890-1900.
The portraits of Ulysses S. Grant, by an unknown artist, and Dolley Madison, by Gilbert Stuart,
have been moved to the west wall, over the doorways, to make them more visible to tours. In
their previous locations on the north wall have been placed Martin Van Buren by Francis
Alexander and Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull. John James Audubon by John Syme
has been placed in storage temporarily.
THE EAST ROOM
Office of the Curator
June 1994
ARTWORK
William McKinley by Harriet Anderson Stubbs Murphy (1852-1935)
oil on canvas, 1902. One of the few portraits in the White
House Collection painted by a woman. The artist signed it,
however, with her husband's name.
U.S. Government purchase.
903.1413.1
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (Mrs. George Washington)
by Eliphalet F. Andrews (1835-1915)
oil on canvas, 1878. Head is believed to be modeled after a
Gilbert Stuart portrait painted in 1796. President Hayes'
niece, Emily Hastings, posed for the hands.
U.S. Government purchase.
878.1289.1
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828)
oil on canvas, 1797. One of several replicas painted by the
artist of his original commissioned by Senator William
Bingham in 1796 (the second replica, the "Lansdowne"
portrait now on exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery).
It is the only object known to have remained in the White
House since 1800. On August 24, 1814, during the War of
1812, while preparing to flee the White House before British
troops approached Washington, Dolley Madison ordered the
portrait taken away for safekeeping. The frame was broken,
as it was bolted to the wall, and the painting was removed
intact. The canvas was not cut from the stretcher and
rolled up. The painting was returned to the White House in
1817.
U.S. Government purchase.
800.1290.1
Theodore Roosevelt by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)
oil on canvas, 1903. Painted from life in the White House
in the year after the Theodore Roosevelt Renovation
introduced the Georgian style to the East Room.
President Roosevelt is depicted, having just descended the
stairs, by one of the foremost portraitists of his day.
In a letter written to his son, Kermit, Roosevelt indicated
that the landing of the "big stairs" was selected as the
painting site because the artist felt the light was best
there.
U.S. Government purchase.
903.1328.1
-2-
FURNISHINGS
North Wall
CORNICES, set of seven (three each on north and south walls,
elongated single on east wall), gilded cherry, 1902,
purchased from L. Marcotte & Company, New York.
Tied oak branches on arched center.
Among the furnishings ordered by McKim, Mead & White for the
Theodore Roosevelt Renovation, 1902.
902.3041.1-6
902.3042.1
TORCHERES, set of four (two each on north and south walls),
gilded metal and cut glass, c.1902, purchased from
L. Marcotte & Company, New York.
Elaborate classical motifs on shaft; fruit and shell
pendants; glasswork simplified during the Kennedy
administration.
Among the furnishings ordered by McKim, Mead & White for the
Theodore Roosevelt Renovation, 1902.
902.1297-1300
BENCHES, eight from a set of thirteen, gilded mahogany, c.1902,
purchased from L. Marcotte & Company, New York.
Louis XVI revival style; spiral-turned legs; saltire
stretcher.
Among the furnishings ordered by McKim, Mead & White
for the Theodore Roosevelt Renovation, 1902; made for the
East Room in two sizes - two small each on north and south
walls (903.553, 559, 562-3), two medium (903.555, 560) on
east wall. The two large on east wall (903.557-558) were
medium benches extended during the Truman Renovation.
East Wall
MANTELS, set of four (two each on east and west walls),
red marble, 1951, designed by Lorenzo Winslow, carved by
Standard Art Marble & Tile Co.
Vermont "Rouge antique" marble (marbleized white 1961-1979;
white, siena, black 1979-1995; marbleizing removed 1995).
Made for the Truman Renovation.
P51.B02260.1-4
ANDIRONS, four pairs, gilded brass, c.1902,
purchased from L. Marcotte & Company, New York.
Louis XVI style; urn with ram's head handles.
Among the furnishings ordered by McKim, Mead & White for
the Theodore Roosevelt Renovation, 1902.
903.1313, 1316, 1319, 1326
WINE COOLERS, four from a set of six, gilded silver, 1809-10,
London, made by Paul Storr.
Medici shape; classical bacchanalian procession;
satyr masque handle mounts.
Bequest of Mrs. Margaret Thompson Biddle.
958.4147.1-6
-3-
East Wall (continued)
CANDELABRA, pair, cut glass and brass,
late 18th-early 19th century, England.
Gift of White House Furnishings Committee
929.1352.1
and Mrs. Harriet B. Pratt.
929.1373.1
MIRRORS, set of four (two each on east and west walls), gilded
wood and glass, 1952, made by Knipp & Company, Baltimore.
Wrapped reeds; surmounting spread-winged eagle.
Installed during the Truman Renovation.
P52.H02259.1-4
SCONCES, pair, gilded bronze, c.1835, France.
Griffin torso; set with two partially gilded pairs in the
Blue Room; bear stamp of King Louis-Philippe's Chateau de
Neuilly.
Anonymous donation.
962.245.7-8
West Wall
CANDELABRA, pair, gilded bronze, c.1817, Paris.
Classical woman on plinth.
Among the French furnishings purchased by President James
Monroe in 1817; designated for the "Sitting room or Parlor"
(Red Room).
817.1503-1504
CANDELABRA, pair, gilded bronze, c.1817, Paris,
attributed to (Pierre-Philippe) Thomire & Company.
Classical woman on globe atop plinth with martial mounts.
Among the French furnishings purchased by President James
Monroe in 1817; designated for the "large oval room"
(Blue Room).
817.1423-1424
WINE COOLERS, two of four, gilded silver, 1806-07, London,
made by William Pitts.
Classical bacchanalian procession; horsehead handle mounts.
Bequest of Mrs. Margaret Thompson Biddle.
958.4148.1-4
CHANDELIERS, set of three, cut glass and gilded brass, c.1902,
purchased from E.F. Caldwell & Company, New York.
Bohemian glass; twenty-four electric candle arms,
twenty-nine interior lights; shortened and modified during
the Truman Renovation.
Among the furnishings ordered by McKim, Mead & White for the
Theodore Roosevelt Renovation, 1902.
902.3055-3057
RUGS, wool, 1994, New York, made by Edward Fields, Inc.
Center - 23'4 X 30'7 1/2; ends - 15'10-16' x 23'4.
Three pieces in Adamesque style, largely derived from the
1951 plasterwork of the East Room ceiling; colors derived
from Robert Adam rug designs, 1769-1775.
Gift of The White House Endowment Fund
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES RESTORATIONS
As have most of their predecessors in the White House,
President and Mrs. Clinton have undertaken several interior
refurbishings and restorations to ensure the upkeep of the
Executive Mansion as a living museum that has been the home and
office of every President since John Adams. No public funds were
spent on the work.
The recently completed work is part of the routine
maintenance and restoration of the White House and concludes the
initial phase of a broader restoration project to include
additional repairs and maintenance. According to White House
Curator Rex Scouten, significant restorations are necessary about
every 10 years due to the heavy volume of tourists and guests who
visit the White House each week.
In addition to the routine maintenance and restoration, some
changes reflect the lifestyle of the occupant family, such as
converting the butler's pantry into an everyday kitchen for
family meals, the President's work habits (installing bookcases
in the Treaty Room), and the taste and character of the
President's principal work place, the Oval Office, which now has
new drapes and carpet.
The restoration featured the re-upholstering or recovering
of 73 pieces of furniture and furnishings, the conservation of 23
pieces of furniture already in the White House collection and the
retrieval of 52 pieces of furniture and 22 historic and
decorative pieces from storage for use within the house. Two
floors were repaired and re-covered. Twenty-eight windows
received new curtains. Nineteen carpets and underlays worn and
needing attention were replaced. Eleven chandeliers were
conserved.
The President and Mrs. Clinton are already involved in
making needed refurbishments in the state rooms of the White
House. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House met
earlier this month to discuss the restoration projects in the
Blue Room and East Room. The President recently appointed
Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Director, Studio Museum in Harlem; J.
Thomas Savage, Jr., Curator, Historic Charleston Foundation; Dick
Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation; Leonore
Annenberg and Kaki Hockersmith of Hockersmith Interiors to the
Committee for Preservation of the White House. The President re-
appointed the following members of the Committee for Preservation
of the White House: Leslie Greene Bowman, Curator, Los Angeles
County Museum of Art; Wendy Cooper, Curator of Decorative Arts,
Baltimore Museum of Art; Jonathan Fairbanks, Katherine Lane Weems
Curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Museum of Fine Arts;
Richard Nylander, Curator of Collections, Society for the
Preservation of New England Antiquities; John Wilmerding,
Christopher Binyon Sarofim '86 Professor in American Art,
Princeton University; Mark Hampton; William Kloss and Charles W.
Engelhard, Jr. (A complete list of the members of the Committee
for the Preservation of the White House is attached.)
Included in the restoration were portions of the family
quarters and rooms widely used for private work, meetings,
official functions, and entertaining -- the Oval Office, Treaty
Room, West Sitting Room, and Lincoln Sitting Room. The most
extensive changes were made to enhance the special character of
the Oval Office and the Treaty Room -- the President's two
offices -- and to expand their use as public and private work
areas.
O New gold draperies were installed in the Oval Office
after President Clinton's inauguration in January.
Further improvements included restyling and recovering
the office's two sofas, reupholstering two high-back
armchairs, recovering several cane-back armchairs, and
installing a new oval carpet with 13 colors that was
woven specially for the room. The carpet, with its
deep blue field, features the Presidential Seal
encircled by fifty white stars and framed by a gilt
double rope.
Over the years, the Treaty Room, now a Presidential office
located in the residence, has served as a Cabinet Room, sitting
room, Presidential reception room, and private study. It has
also been the site of important treaty signings, such as the
Peace Protocol marking the end of the Spanish-American War in
1898 and the Treaty for a Partial Nuclear Test Ban signed by
President Kennedy. Aware of the room's rich past, President
Clinton was committed to restoring its 19th century character
while also maintaining it as a working office and meeting area
for visiting dignitaries. The table in the Treaty Room, now
serving as the President's desk, was used this fall by the
signators of the Israeli-Palestinian Agreement.
O The refurbishing of the Treaty Room was accomplished
with the addition of stained walnut woodwork, inlaid
walnut bookcases, new wallpaper, new upholstery and
draperies, and a repainted ceiling medallion.
In the family quarters of the residence, most of the
restoration consisted of necessary maintenance, repainting,
carpeting, and upholstering.
O A butler's pantry was converted into an everyday
kitchen now used for family meals. A large wood island
was removed and replaced with an expandable breakfast
table and chairs.
2
o The carpet on the second floor, worn from constant
use, was replaced and moved to the third floor hallway.
o The third-floor solarium, where the First Family
entertains and convenes meetings, received new drapes,
upholstery and wallpaper. Similar improvements were
made to the second floor master bedroom and family
room.
The recent improvements, totalling $396,429.46, were
financed by private donations of money to the White House
Historical Association, including a donation from surplus funds
of the Presidential Inaugural Committee as well as donations of
goods and services to the National Park Service. (The Inaugural
Committee also contributed funds to the Vice President's
Residence Foundation.) The Clintons chose not to use the $50,000
appropriated by Congress for White House restorations.
Among the donations to the National Park Service was $74,607
contributed by the Clinton/Gore Transition Foundation in payments
to Kaki Hockersmith of Little Rock, Arkansas, for her services as
the design consultant for the White House restoration project.
(The Transition Foundation is privately funded.) Ms. Hockersmith
devoted a significant amount of personal time to the project,
essentially closing her small business and dedicating nearly an
entire year to the White House refurbishment. Ms. Hockersmith
also donated draperies of her design which now hang in the
Lincoln Sitting Room. (Lists of those who contributed to the
White House Historical Association and the National Park Service
are attached. A list of members of the White House Historical
Association is also attached.)
In late November 1992, Ms. Hockersmith, president of Kaki
Hockersmith Interiors, began working with the White House curator
and usher's offices to review the condition of the residence and
offices used by the President to determine a priority list for
refurbishments. She oversaw the gathering and placement of
historic objects to be displayed throughout the residence and
offices of the White House -- a priority for the Clintons.
Ms. Hockersmith surveyed storage facilities inside the White
House and the main storage warehouse in Maryland for paintings,
furniture that could be used after refurbishment, and other
suitable furnishings. To minimize costs, nearly all of the
furniture used for the restoration came from Executive Residence
storage.
Most of the draperies and upholstering were done by Nelson
Beck, a Washington, D.C. firm recommended by the White House
curator and usher's offices and widely acclaimed for its quality
workmanship and attention to historical detail.
3
Nelson Beck has assisted in a number of earlier projects at
the White House, including upholstering the walls of the Green
Room, upholstering the Bellange chairs in the Blue Room, and
providing slipcovers and upholstery for the Bushes and the
Reagans.
Other work done by Nelson Beck includes drapery treatments
and upholstery for the Vice President's house during Nelson
Rockefeller's term, the draperies and window treatments in the
restored period offices at the Treasury Department, as well as
work for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the
National Portrait Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, the Museum of
Modern Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the DAR Museum and the U.S.
Capitol.
"We are grateful to the many Americans whose generous
contributions have helped preserve the White House as a proud
piece of American history and an ongoing national treasure,' the
President and Mrs. Clinton said.
###
Attachments (4)
4
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
Kaki Hockersmith
Q: What was Kaki Hockersmith's rate or the basis on which she was
paid?
A: She was paid by the hour at an hourly wage of $100. She also
donated the draperies that were hung in the Lincoln Sitting Room.
Q: Is $100 her usual rate in Little Rock?
A: I don't know what she charges in Little Rock but this is an
appropriate and reasonable rate for the Washington, DC area. (We
checked around with DC decorators).
Q: I have checked with her store in Little Rock and I'm told
their regular rate is $40-$50 an hour. Why was she paid more
than her going rate?
A: Because the White House is a museum and an historic building.
Q: Have other decorators been paid in the past? If so, how much?
A: I really don't know. There are no records of other decorators
having been paid by the hour. However it is possible that other
designers may have chosen to receive the standard commission for
purchasing fabric and other items. Kaki did not receive any
commissions.
Q: How was Kaki paid?
A: By the Transition Foundation.
Q: Why did the Transition rather than the WHHA pay Ms.
Hockersmith?
A: When she began her work in November 1992, the Transition
Foundation felt the renovations of the White House were an
appropriate part of its mission
and
there
was
no
thought
given to starting to raise money for the WHHA.
Specific Costs
Q: What was the total cost of the Oval Office renovation? What
is the breakdown of costs for each room renovated? What exactly
was done in each room that was renovated?
A: There are both donated items and costed items in each room.
Because we do not know what the cost of each donated items is, we
decided not to do estimates for each room because it would be
impossible to come up with accurate estimates.
Q: What is the cost of each room minus the donated items?
A: Traditionally, a room by room breakdown has not been done in
the past, and since the restoration was funded by private money,
we don't see the need to do such a breakdown.
Q: How can the $396,429 be an accurate figure if you cannot
account for the price of the donated items?
A: The $396,429 is an accurate account of the bills received and
what we paid.
Q: Does this figure include labor done by the National Park
Service?
A: No. Labor provided by the National Park Service, costing
$28,087, has been reimbursed.
Q: I'm still confused as to why you cannot tell us the costs of
specific items, particularly the cost of the rug in the Oval
Office which is referenced in some detail?
A: We don't know the value of the rug or the other donated items.
The donations are made directly to the National Park Service.
The Park Service does not ask the value; it only acknowledges the
receipts.
Q: Who decides the value of the deduction of the donation?
A: This is something we don't know anything about. That's a
matter between the donor and the IRS.
Vince Foster
Q: There is a reference in Vince Foster's note to the Usher's
Office not dealing fairly with Ms. Hockersmith and Mrs.
Clinton
Do you have any further information as to what this is
all about?
A: No. (You may recall that on August 10, 1993, Deputy Attorney
General Phil Heyman said that the preliminary inquiry into this
matter showed that there was nothing there.)
Q: My understanding is that the inquiry at that time was not
complete. Do you know if it has been completed?
A: We understand that the Public Integrity Section is wrapping up
its investigation on this matter but we don't have any
information about exactly when it will be completed. You should
contact the Justice Department.
Presidential Inaugural Committee
Q: How much money did the PIC give to the WHHA?
A: PIC made a contribution to the WHHA of $300,000. The same
amount was given to the Vice President's Residence Foundation.
Q: Why did you not request the full amount of the cost of the
restoration from the PIC?
A: At the time the request was made to the PIC, what we requested
was based on a very early estimate. Our intention was always to
work with the WHHA to raise additional funds.
Q: When did the PIC give the money to the WHHA?
A: Early spring 1993.
Q: Isn't it a little strange that the PIC made these
contributions to the White House and the Vice President's House
when it hasn't paid all of its bills?
A: It is my understanding that PIC has paid all of its bills.
Q: How about GSA?
A: I believe that bill has been paid.
Q: Will PIC be making additional contributions to the White
House or the Vice President's House?
A: I don't know.
Q: How much money does the PIC have? Will it be issuing a report
of its income and expense?
A: I'll have to refer you to Deborah Ashford at the PIC.
Q: Who runs PIC and who is on the board?
A: I'll have to refer you to Deborah Ashford at the PIC.
Contributors to the WHHA and the National Park Service
Q: Are there other large contributors to the restoration other
than the PIC?
A: The lists of contributors to the WHHA and the National Park
Service are attached.
Q: Have you put any limitations on contributions for this
project?
A: No.
Q: Are you accepting contributions from corporations and labor
unions?
A: Yes. In our fundraising for the WHHA, we are not adopting a
policy of excluding any gift but everything will be disclosed.
Q: The list of contributors to the National Park Service does not
show what they contributed nor the value of the contributions.
What are the values?
A: Beyond the fee that was paid to Ms. Hockersmith, we do not
know the value of the specific items that were contributed. The
Park Service acknowledges such contributions but does not set a
value on them.
Q: Who is raising the money that is being contributed to the
WHHA?
A: A variety of people have assisted in fundraising.
Q: Will you give us the names of the people who did the
fundraising?
A: We have no plans to do this, This is private fundraising and
a lot of it is done by word of mouth.
Q: Are contributions to the WHHA and the Park Service deductible
for income tax purposes?
A: My understanding is that the contributions are deductible.
Q: If that is the case, when a person who contributes as specific
item, say a rug, he must put some value on it in order to claim a
deduction, is that correct?
Q: I assume that is correct.
A: How will he or she establish that value?
Q: I believe the IRS has rules about what you have to do to place
a value on a donated item but I am not familiar with the rules.
Federal Procurement Procedures
Q: Should the renovation work have been subject to federal
procurement laws requiring competitive bidding?
A: No. The renovations of the Executive Residence involve
purchases by a private entity, so any procurement laws or
competitive bidding requirements do not apply.
Q: But wasn't this a White House project?
A: While the First Family determines what renovations are
desirable, it is the White House Historical Association that
determines independently whether or not its funds will pay for
the improvements. The WHHA is never under an obligation to fund
any particular renovation work unless it independently approves
this payment.
Q: Should competitive bidding requirements apply to work in the
White House?
A: We are aware of no competitive bidding that has ever been used
in connection with the White House renovation work. The
competitive bidding requirements simply do not apply to work
funded by private organizations such as the WHHA. Moreover, we
are aware of no instance where such a requirement was applied
when Congressionally appropriated funds were used to support
renovation work.
Q: Would the competitive bidding rules apply of you were to use
Congressionally appropriated funds to help pay for the
renovations?
A: No. As I have said, were are also aware of no prior instance
where the procurement laws were so applied. In any event, this
question really has no bearing here since no public funds are
being used to pay for the renovations.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 12, 1998
MEMORANDUM
TO: MARSHA BERRY
CAPRICIA MARSHALL
FROM: BETTY C. MONKMAN BCM
SUBJECT: State Dining Room renovation
I understand that the September 9th event has been postponed.
However, I am enclosing information on the project and a history
of the room in the event that any information is released when
the room re-opens after Labor Day.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
THE STATE DINING ROOM
In James Hoban's 1792 design for the President's House,
the west end of the State Floor consisted of two rooms of equal
size flanking the principal staircase to the Second Floor.
The first two occupants of the house, Presidents John Adams
(1800-1801) and Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), used the northwest
room (now the Family Dining Room) as a dining room. Adams used
the southwest room (the southern two-thirds of the current State
Dining Room) as a "Levee Room", while Thomas Jefferson used it
has his office and cabinet room. It was there that Jefferson and
Meriwether Lewis planned the Lewis & Clark Expedition in 1802.
The southwest room was first used as the principal dining
room by the Madisons (1809-1814). There hung the full-length
portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart which Dolley
Madison removed before the British arrived and burned the
building in 1814. In 1819, after the post-fire reconstruction,
the Monroes installed two new Italian white marble mantelpieces
in the southwest room; these were moved to the Green and Red
Rooms in 1902.
By 1825, the two western rooms were no longer equal in size
because the Madisons had partitioned off the western side of the
northwest room. The southwest room became the "Large Dining
Room", the northwest the "Small Dining Room". The small
northwest corner space became a pantry, as it is today. Even as
the "Large Dining Room", the southwest room seated only 35-40
guests at a rectangular dining table. Later the number was
increased to 50-65 by adding tables at the ends to create an
I-shaped arrangement.
In 1880, access was provided from the State Dining Room into
the array of greenhouses which had been erected to the west of
the building since 1857. Until 1902, when they were demolished,
these greenhouses served as a private retreat for the first
families and their guests.
Besides formal dinners for government officials, the
diplomatic corps, and other important visitors, the 1886 wedding
dinner for President Grover Cleveland, the only president married
in the White House, was held in this room. By 1902, however,
many large dinners were being staged in the Cross Hall or East
Room.
-2-
In 1902, the State Dining Room was enlarged and completely
redesigned by McKim, Mead & White during the Theodore Roosevelt
renovation. The staircase, rendered less necessary by the
installation of an elevator in 1881, was removed, and the room
was expanded into that space. The removal of a load-bearing wall
and the suspension of the ceiling from the timbers above
contributed to the structural problems which later prompted the
Truman Renovation, 1948-1952.
The 1819 mantels were replaced by a single larger fireplace
on the west wall. The walls of English oak paneling were
bordered with wild animal heads. Three mahogany eagle-pedestal
side tables, Queen Anne style chairs, and silver-plated lighting
fixtures were installed and remain in use today. For large
dinners, the smaller table used for most meals by the Theodore
Roosevelt family was replaced by a broad horseshoe-shaped pine
table which could seat 104 and was used during many subsequent
administrations.
The walls, first painted in 1952, were repainted in 1961,
at which time the eagle tables were painted and gilded and the
lighting fixtures gilded to create a white and gold color scheme.
The 1902 mantel, removed during the Truman Renovation, was
reproduced on a somewhat smaller scale in white marble. A long
U-shaped table (seating 90) or E-shaped table (120) for formal
dining was replaced for most events by more intimate circular
tables which optimize the space (140).
In 1998, the room was refurbished with stone-colored walls,
floral draperies, and gold chair upholstery. The side tables
were restored to their original 1902 mahogany appearance. The
chandelier and sconces were conserved to better show the
brilliance of their 1961 gilding.
Office of the Curator
September 1998
STATE DINING ROOM RENOVATION AND REFURBISHING
The State Dining Room of the White House has been renovated and
refurbished at the recommendation of the Committee for the
Preservation of the White House. The refurbishing reflects the
spirit of the 1902 renovation of the room by the architectural
firm McKim, Meade & White undertaken during the President
Theodore Roosevelt administration while taking into consideration
the current uses of the room at the end of the 20th century. The
State Dining Room is the most intact architectural space
remaining in the White House from 1902 and many of the 1902
furnishings are still in the room.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton serves as honorary chair of the
Committee for the Preservation of the White House and was
involved in the project, working with historians, curators and
designers. The room has been painted and new draperies and chair
coverings installed. A major component of the project was the
preservation and conservation of the 1902 furnishings.
The State Dining Room had not been painted since 1985; the
draperies and upholsteries installed 1981 were sun-damaged and
worn and the carpets, made in 1974 and 1975, were worn out. Over
1.2 million visitors view the room and over 50,000 guests are
entertained there each year.
The following changes have been made:
The oak paneling in the room, the most intact architectural
feature remaining in the White House from 1902, was preserved and
re-installed during the Truman renovation of 1952 when the
paneling was painted light green. It was painted again in 1961,
1970, 1981 and in 1985 when it received an umber glaze. The
committee decided to keep the walls painted rather that attempt
to remove the paint and restore the walls to the original oak
finish. At the committee's suggestion, the walls have been
painted a stone color in keeping with the Georgian style
woodwork. Paneling was often painted at the turn of the last
century. The architectural elements of the frieze and the
pilasters have been accented in white.
New draperies have been hung at the five windows. The valances
were redesigned to complement the architecture of the frieze.
The multi-colored floral silk brocade has flowers, baskets and
ribbons on an off-white field. It was specially reproduced by
Schumacher for the White House from a documented fabric of 1901.
The design was based on 18th century sources popular during the
Colonial Revival of the early 20th century. The gold, blue and
red floral custom colors are those of the state services used in
the room.
The three eagle pedestal console tables, designed by Stanford
White and made by the A. H. Davenport Company of Boston in 1902,
have been conserved and returned to their original mahogany
appearance. They had been painted and gilded in 1961.
The 1902 silverplate chandelier and wall sconces, by the New York
firm of Edward F. Caldwell, were gilded in 1961. They have been
cleaned, conserved and re-wired. Their gilded appearance is now
more compatible with the other gilded objects in the room.
The Queen Anne style mahogany chairs, made in 1902 and 1952, have
been conserved and re-upholstered in a gold cotton and wool
Scalamandre fabric with an oak leaf design.
A new carpet incorporating elements from the 1902 ceiling design
has been designed and will be installed in the room early in
1999. A temporary carpet with a leaf and rosette pattern has
been placed on the floor.
Returned to the room are the portrait of President Abraham
Lincoln by George P. A. Healy, the gilded bronze plateau and
baskets ordered from France by President James Monroe in 1817,
an English 18th century gilded pier mirror, a mahogany dining
room table made for the room in 1998, and nineteenth century
gilded candelabra and other decorative objects from the White
House collection.
The White House Endowment Trust, created by the White House
Historical Association to support the public state rooms, funded
the project.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
MAP ROOM - ARCHITECTURE RELATED SUBJECTS
The walls of the Map Room are made from the old pine structural
timbers from the White House installed when it was rebuilt in
1817. They were removed during the Truman renovation and made
into paneling for the Map Room, Library, Vermeil Room and China
Room.
The mantel in the Map Room, of original White House stone, was
carved and installed in the room in 1951.
Portrait of Benjamin Henry Latrobe by Charles Willson Peale -
Latrobe was the first professional architect in America. He
worked with Jefferson to design the east and west colonnades and
did other work in the President's House such as replacing the
leaking roof and installing a staircase and water closets. The
portrait was painted in 1804, the year Jefferson appointed
Latrobe "Surveyor of Public Buildings." (Latrobe also worked on
the Capitol, designed Decatur House and St. John's Church on
Lafayette Square.)
In the Library is a small portrait of James Hoban, the architect
of the White House. Hoban won the competition in 1792 to design
a house for the President. He supervised its construction and
later oversaw the reconstruction after the 1814 fire.
TheWhiteHouse Enoumment Tund
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 1995
page 1 OF 2
WHITE HOUSE ENDOWMENT FUND ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF
BLUE ROOM RENOVATIONS AND REFURBISHING
WASHINGTON, DC -- The White House Endowment Fund is pleased to
announce their participation and support in the completion of the
renovation of the Blue Room of the White House.
Renovating and refurbishing of the Blue Room began on January 3,
1995. Work done in the Blue Room includes replacing the wall
paper, drapes and furniture fabric, repainting the room, and the
preservation and conservation of historic objects in the room.
The Blue Room project is the first major White House renovation
project funded exclusively by the White House Endowment Fund.
The Blue Room will be officially reopened on February 17, 1995 at
the bi-annual meeting of the Committee for The Preservation of
the White House.
The White House Endowment Fund was established in 1990 as a non-
profit charitable organization and subsidiary of the White House
Historical Association to raise a $25 million endowment. The
purpose of this endowment is to support, in perpetuity, the
preservation and conservation of the public rooms of the White
House, and the acquisition of objects for the White House
collection of fine and decorative arts.
The estimated cost for the renovation and refurbishing of the
Blue Room is $358,358.80. Funds sufficient to underwrite the
cost of the project were made available through the investment
proceeds accrued from the Endowment Fund's current principal of
$12 million.
The Chief Usher and Curator of The White House are authorized to
request support from the endowment for all projects. The Board
of Directors of the White House Endowment Fund is responsible for
raising the endowment and approving expenditures within an amount
specified for spending each year. Contributions made to the
White House Endowment Fund are tax-deductible to the maximum
extent allowed by law.
-more-
740 JACKSON PLACE, NW
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
202/789-1145
FAX 202/789-0440
Blue Room - Endowment Fund
page 2 of 2
The Chair of the White House Endowment Fund is Mrs. Nancy M.
Folger. More than one hundred and fifty individuals,
corporations, and private foundations have contributed to the
White House Endowment Fund.
For additional information contact: Mr. Neil Horstman, Executive
Vice President, White House Historical Association - 202-737-
0025, or, Mrs. Nancy M. Folger, Chair, the White House Endowment
Fund - 202-789-1145.
###
Attached: List of suppliers
EDITORS NOTE: The Blue Room will be officially unveiled on
February 17, 1995 at the meeting of the Committee for the
Preservation of the White House. There will be a press preview
of the room and an opportunity to talk with the First Lady and
the individuals involved in the renovation and refurbishing
project at that time. Space for this press preview is limited.
Please contact the First Lady's Press Office is you would like to
cover this event - 202-456-2960.
WHITE HOUSE ENDOWMENT FUND
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mrs. Nancy M. Folger, Chair
Mrs. Earle M. Craig, Jr., Past Chair and current member
Mrs. Anne Fisher
Mrs. Graham Gund
Mr. George B. Hartzog, Jr.
Mrs. Suzanne V. Hascoe
Mr. Roger Horchow
Mrs. Linda Johnson Rice
Mrs. Thomas McLarty
Mr. A. Paul Prosperi
Mrs. William D. Ruckelshaus
Mr. Alfred R. Stern
Ms. Susan P. Thomases
1995 BLUE ROOM RENOVATION
SUPPLIERS
ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURES
WALLPAPER (manufacture)
$ 24,215.00
Mr. Thomas Marshall
Brunschwig & Fils
(914) 684-5800
WALLPAPER (installation)
$ 13,133.80
Mr. Robert Kelly
WRN Associates
(413) 243-3489
FABRIC
$112,000.00
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Bitter (Adriana)
Scalamandre Silks, Inc.
(718) 361-8500
UPHOLSTERY (labor)
$ 38,250.00
DRAPERY (labor)
$ 15,000.00
Mr. Nelson Wurz
Nelson Beck of Washington, Inc.
(202) 387-4114
GILDING WORK (furniture)
$ 25,000.00
Mr. Thom Gentle
Thom Gentle Consultants
(802) 694-1475
PAINTING & ARCHITECTURAL GILDING
$ 61,560.00
Mr. Brandon Thompson
Interiors
(703) 519-8870
MARBLE WORK
$ 3,500.00
Mr. Daniel Errigo
U.S. Marble & Granite
(301) 595-7400
-2-
REIMBURSEMENT TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
$ 17,200.00
(labor and other support)
ESTIMATED COST FOR CARPET
$ 48,500.00
ESTIMATE TOTAL
$358,358.80
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
EAST ROOM
The East Room, scene of many historic White House events, was
designated by architect, James Hoban, as the "Public Audience
Room." It normally contains little furniture and traditionally
is used for large gatherings, such as dances, after dinner
entertainment, concerts, weddings, funerals, award presentations,
press conferences, and bill signing ceremonies.
History:
1800
- When John and Abigail Adams moved into the White
House, this room was incomplete. The laundry was
hung in this room.
1801
- Thomas Jefferson had the south end of the room
partitioned into two rooms to create a bedroom and
an office for his secretary, Meriwether Lewis,
later co-leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
1829
- Room first fully decorated under Andrew Jackson.
1861
- During the Civil War, Union troops quartered in
this room for a time.
1873
- Under Ulysses S. Grant, room decorated in
Victorian style referred to as "Steamboat Gothic." "
1902
- Under Theodore Roosevelt, room redecorated by
McKim, Mead and White in classical revival style.
1952
- Paneling and ceiling modified during the Truman
Renovation.
State Occasions:
February 24, 1902
- Dinner honoring Prince Henry of
Prussia (Theodore Roosevelt
Administration)
April 22, 1980
- Luncheon honoring King Baudouin and
Queen Fabiola of Belgium (Jimmy Carter
Administration)
October 4, 1994
- Dinner honoring President Nelson
Mandela of South Africa (Bill Clinton
Administration)
Weddings:
Presidential daughters -
- Elizabeth Tyler, 1842
- Nellie Grant, 1874
- Alice Roosevelt, 1906
- Jessie Wilson, 1913
- Lynda Johnson, 1967
Lying in State:
Seven of eight presidents who died in office have lain in
state in the East Room. President James A. Garfield, 1881,
was the exception.
- William Henry Harrison, 1841
- Zachary Taylor, 1850
- Abraham Lincoln, 1865
- William McKinley, 1901
- Warren G. Harding, 1923
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1945
- John F. Kennedy, 1963
Other funerals included three first ladies -
- Letitia Christian Tyler, 1842
- Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison, 1892
- Ellen Louise Axson Wilson, 1914
Also of Interest:
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower takes oath of office to
begin his second term on Sunday, January 20, 1957.
Inauguration at U.S. Capitol held on Monday, January 21.
- President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act,
July 2, 1964.
- Gerald R. Ford is sworn in as President, August 9, 1974.
- Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President
Anwar Sadat of Egypt signed the Camp David accords,
establishing a framework for peace in the Middle East,
September 17, 1978.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Office of the Curator
February 1997
THE MAP ROOM
In the 19th century, the Ground Floor was devoted to service
functions - kitchens, laundry, furnace, storage. At that time
this room was one of several bedrooms for the household staff.
During the Theodore Roosevelt Renovation of 1902, when several
of the Ground Floor rooms were improved to assist in official
entertaining, this room became a ladies cloak or dressing room.
From about 1917 to 1929 it was used also as the billiard room.
Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, this room
was converted into an extremely private situation or "Map Room"
in which President Franklin D. Roosevelt could monitor the
campaigns of World War II and receive and send sensitive
communications. The furniture for a small cadre of duty officers
was placed in the center of the room so that the President could
be wheeled around the edge of the room in order to study wall-
mounted maps - the Atlantic Theater on the east wall, the Pacific
on the west - dotted with pins tracing military movements and
capital ship positions. One special pin marked the location of
the destroyer on which Franklin Jr. was serving.
Access to this room was limited to a few key military aides
and the President's closest advisor, Harry Hopkins. As a
military installation, the Secret Service was not admitted and
members of the Cabinet only rarely. British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill, however, was a regular visitor when in
Washington; in fact the idea for the room was based on a facility
in his offices in London. President Roosevelt visited the room
daily until mid-1944, after which time briefing materials were
taken to him. President Harry S. Truman also used the room
through the end of the war.
In 1951, as part of the Truman Renovation, the room was
rebuilt with pine paneling fashioned from old timbers removed
during the reconstruction of the interior of the building.
A simple mantelpiece was carved from old removed sandstone.
The door to the Diplomatic Reception Room was moved to its
current location in the northeast corner.
-2-
During the Kennedy administration the room was occupied for
a time by the newly created Curator's Office. During the Lyndon
Johnson administration, the room was divided by a partition; the
Secret Service occupied the north end, the Doctor's Office used
the south end via a door in the west wall leading to the other
rooms of the medical suite.
At the request of President Nixon in 1970, the room was
refurbished as a private drawing room which the President or
First Lady could use for meetings, especially during the hours
when the other Ground and State Floor Rooms were open for tours.
The pine paneling was painted, but the sandstone mantel was
retained. The single window was hung with a red silk damask
lambrequin.
The room was filled with furniture in the Chippendale style,
c.1760-1780; although predating the construction of the building,
furniture of this style was used in the preceding presidential
residences in New York and Philadelphia, some of which was
probably brought to the new President's House when the government
moved to Washington in 1800.
To link its World War II function and its new decor, a 1755
map of Virginia and Maryland co-authored by Thomas Jefferson's
father Peter was hung on the east wall in a hinged frame.
It opened to reveal a complete set of maps of the world provided
by the National Geographic Society, reminiscent of a case of the
Society's maps which stood in the room during the War.
This new formal parlor was inaugurated on May 27, 1970,
when President Richard Nixon received former President Lyndon
Johnson before a luncheon honoring the Speaker of the House,
John McCormack. It was also in this room that National Security
Advisor Henry Kissinger held meetings to plan President Nixon's
1972 trip in China.
In 1982, the marble floor installed in 1951 was covered with
a mahogany floor more appropriate for an 18th-century-style
American room.
In 1993, the last situation map prepared in this room in
1945 for President Roosevelt was returned to the room as a gift
from one of the naval officers who served there. In 1994, after
some changes in the woodwork, the walls were painted a lighter
white, and the furnishings were rearranged and changed to make
the room more serviceable for the President and Mrs. Clinton.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: LISA CAPUTO
April 5, 1994
NEEL LATTIMORE
KAREN FINNEY
202-456-2960
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTIVE CHEF
WASHINGTON, DC -- Walter S. Scheib, III was officially hired as
the Executive Chef of the White House on Monday, April 4, 1994.
Chef Scheib is expected to begin service at the White House in
mid April.
A 1979 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Scheib is
the Executive Chef of the Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs,
West Virginia, a post he has held since 1991. Scheib has served
as the Executive Chef of the Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC; the
Madison Hotel, Washington, DC; The Boca Raton Hotel and Club,
Boca Raton, Florida; and the Capital Hilton Hotel, Washington,
DC.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton said of Scheib's selection, "I
am delighted that Walter Scheib will be joining the White House
as Executive Chef. Mr. Scheib's experience, which reflects
regional American cuisine, makes him ideally suited for the
Executive Chef position."
The White House Executive Chef oversees the kitchen staff and
coordinates the preparation of all meals served at the White
House. Last year more than 60,000 people attended social events
at the White House.
"Walter Scheib's ability to prepare a wide range of menus makes
him the perfect choice for this position," said White House
Social Secretary Ann Stock. "I am looking forward to working
with him as we set the social schedule for the months ahead.
"It is an honor and a pleasure to serve the First Family," said
Scheib. "I look forward to helping the First Lady create menus
that reflect the finest American cuisine."
Scheib, a native of Bethesda, Maryland, is married to Jean P.
Scheib. They have two children.
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
THE FIRST LADY'S PRESS OFFICE
PHONE: (202) 456-2960
FAX:
(202) 456-7805
TO:
Ann Doyle for Jennifer Rose
FAX:
617-786-7335 PHONE:
DATE: 10/25/00 TIME:
PAGES (INCLUDING COVER):
FROM: Gayleen Dalsimer
COMMENTS:
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Office of the Curator
October 1993
THE TREATY ROOM
During the first half of the 19th century, this room was
used by the presidents as a sitting room or a private meeting
room. President Franklin Pierce (1853-1857), however, used it
as his office. During the Abraham=Lincoln administration, it
was a waiting room for appointments to the adjoining President's
Office (today's Lincoln Bedroom).
In 1866, President Andrew Johnson made the room his Cabinet
Room. It continued to be SO used until 1902 under Presidents
Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, and McKinley
and for the first year under Theodore Roosevelt, retaining most
of the furnishings especially made for the room in 1869. On
August 12, 1898, this room was the site of the signing of the
Peace Protocol ending hostilities in the Spanish-American War.
In 1902, the Cabinet Room and the offices of the President
and his staff were moved into the newly constructed West Wing,
at which time this room became a private study for Presidents
Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding and Coolidge. During
the Hoover administration, it became a sitting room and was
furnished by Mrs. Hoover with objects from the Monroe era and
with reproductions of furniture that belonged to President
Monroe. It then became known as the Monroe Room.
During the Kennedy administration, this room became a
private meeting room for the President, furnished to resemble
the Cabinet Room of the late 19th century and named the Treaty
Room. On October 7, 1963, President Kennedy signed here the
ratification of the Treaty for a Partial Nuclear Test Ban, and
on September 30, 1972, President Nixon similarly signed the
ratification of the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic
Missile Systems.
In 1989, the room was converted back into a Residence office
for President Bush.
-2-
In 1993, this room, remaining a Residence office for
President Clinton, has been refurbished by Little Rock designer,
Kaki Hockersmith, incorporating furnishings associated with
the use of the room in the 19th century as the Cabinet Room.
The painted woodwork installed in the Truman Renovation has
been removed to storage and replaced with matching woodwork
in a dark-stained walnut. A pair of inlaid walnut bookcases has
been constructed for the east wall. Several chairs have been
upholstered in a dark red fabric ornamented with gold Napoleonic
laurel wreaths. This motif was also adapted for gilded gesso
wreaths applied to the center of the walnut cornices installed
above new draperies made of a red and blue fabric in a drapery-
swag pattern. The room cornice and ceiling medallion have been
repainted with details highlighted, while the walls have been
covered in a vinyl wallpaper simulating red leather. The 1869
Cabinet table has been returned as a desk along with other
historic White House furnishings and artworks (described on the
following pages counterclockwise from the hallway door).
-3-
FINE ARTS
North Wall- east
George Washington by an unknown artist
oil on canvas, c.1795. Full-length, seated outdoors
with a book.
Bequest of David Gray.
968.629.1
East Wall
View of Macao by an unknown artist
oil on canvas, c.1853. Between his two visits to Japan in
an attempt to open that country to American trade, Commodore
Matthew C. Perry and his naval squadron spent from July 1853
to January 1854 in China. This harbor scene, showing the
steam frigates U.S.S. Powhatan and U.S.S. Susquehanna, is
believed to have been painted in the fall of 1853 at the
time that Perry took up residence in Macao during the
refitting of his fleet.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 973.963.1
View of Hong Kong by an unknown artist
oil on canvas, c.1853. Perry's full squadron assembled in
Hong Kong on August 25, 1853. The three sidewheel steamers
at center of this view from Kowloon are the U.S.S. Powhatan,
U.S.S Susquehanna, and the U.S.S. Mississippi. These two
paintings were once owned by Lt. J. Hogan Brown of the
Susquehanna.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 973.963.1
Benjamin Franklin by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (1724-1780)
oil on panel, 1777. Small standing portrait painted shortly
after Franklin arrived in Paris to help negotiate a treaty
between France and the new United States.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H.S. Schaeffer in memory of President
John F. Kennedy.
964.524.1
William McKinley and Ida Saxton McKinley
by Emily Draton Taylor (1860-1952)
watercolor on ivory, 1899. Pair of miniatures painted at
the White House; the only White House portrait of Mrs.
McKinley.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 968.630.1-2
-4-
East Wall (continued)
James Monroe (statuette) by an unknown artist
Dieppe ivory, late 19th century, France.
Probably a figure of George Washington, with hinged triptych
torso carved, however, to commemorate the life of James
Monroe; left panel - as young Virginia officer leading
charge in one of many Revolutionary War battles, promoted by
George Washington for "bravery under fire" at Trenton, 1776;
center - unidentified military meeting; right - standing
portrait with American flag, eagle, and scroll marked
"Monroe Doctrine", an extract from his annual Presidential
message, December 2, 1823, explaining the American position
against European interference in the Americas; similar
figures of Lincoln, Napoleon, Lord Nelson, and European
monarchs are known to exist.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Flock.
962.386.1
Andrew Jackson by Clark Mills (1815-1883)
white metal, 1855. This miniature version of Mills' heroic
rearing equestrian statue of Jackson, unveiled in the center
of Lafayette Square across from the White House in 1853, was
cast by the Philadelphia foundry, Cornelius & Baker, and
purchased by the government for the White House in 1859.
859.1451.1
Theodore Roosevelt by James Earle Fraser (1876-1953)
bronze, c.1910. This small bust shows Roosevelt in the
neckerchief and uniform jacket worn when he was a Rough
Rider (1st U.S. Cavalry Volunteers) in the Spanish-American
War. The sculptor is probably best known for his design of
the buffalo nickel.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Saul Lerner.
971.708.1
Horatio Nelson (bust) by an unknown artist
bronze/ oak and copper, 1905. For the centenary of the
death of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21,
1805, the British Admiralty provided copper and oak from
Nelson's still extant flagship, H.M.S. VICTORY for the
making of this "memento" bust and pedestal sent to President
Theodore Roosevelt.
Gift of the British and Foreign Sailors Society. 905.1440.1
George Washington (bust) by an unknown artist
gilded bronze, :.1810.
Small uniformed bust matching ones used atop French
mantel clocks made for the American market.
Gift of an anonymous donor.
968.615.1
-5-
South Wall
Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Wilson (1721-1788)
oil on canvas, 1759. This half-length portrait,
commissioned by Franklin in London in 1758, shows a streak
of lightning at the left alluding to his electricity
experiments, a subject about which the artist had also
written. This painting was in Franklin's home in
Philadelphia when British troops were quartered there during
the Revolutionary War. Major John Andre, the infamous
conspirator with Benedict Arnold, took the portrait with him
to England, where it hung in Howick House, the home of his
commanding officer, Major-General Sir Charles Grey.
In 1906, in honor of the bicentenary of Franklin's birth,
it was given to the United States by the Governor General
of Canada, Albert Henry George, 4th Earl Grey. 906.3501.1
West Wall
Winston Churchill by Yousuf Karsh (1908-
)
black-and-white photograph. Seated half-length taken 1941.
Property of President Clinton.
Abraham Lincoln by Alexander Hesler (?-?)
black-and-white photograph, c.1956, from negative taken in
Springfield, Illinois, June 3, 1860. Pre-beard bust view.
Property of President Clinton.
George Washington (statuette) by an unknown artist
bronze, c.1830-50. Washington is depicted in military
dress holding a rolled document in his right hand.
Gift of Hugh D. Auchincloss, Jr.
961.101.1
Patrick Henry (bust) by an unknown artist
spelterware, cast by Warner, Miskey & Merrill, c.1860.
Gift of Mrs. William S. Paley.
962.213.2
The Loneliest Job in the World by George Tames (1919-
)
black-and-white photograph, 1991. President John F. Kennedy
looking out the south window of the Oval Office in 1991;
limited edition, #35 of 50, printed by noted New York Times
photographer from his original negative.
Gift of the photographer.
P93.P03606.1
-6-
West Wall (continued)
Signing of the Peace Protocol Between Spain and the United
States, August 12, 1898 by Theobald Chartran (1849-1907)
oil on canvas, 1899. Support in the United States for the
Cuban insurrection against Spanish rule, further incited by
the sinking of the battleship U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor
(February 15, 1898), led President William McKinley to
request and Congress to enact a state of war with Spain as
of April 21. The brief hostilities, marked by dramatic
naval victories in Manila Bay in the Philippine Islands
(May 1) and off the coast of Santiago de Cuba (July 3) were
halted after the signing of a peace protocol in the Cabinet
Room of the White House on August 12. Shown signing is the
French Ambassador, Jules Cambon, who had negotiated on
behalf of the Spanish. Secretary of State William R. Day,
who signed for the United States, is seated beside him with
three American assistant secretaries and one French
secretary standing behind them. Although photographs of the
event show President McKinley at the north end of the 1869
Cabinet table (869.209.1), Chartran chose to reverse the
scene to show the window and view through the South Portico.
Although it seems that industrialist Henry Clay Frick
intended this to be a personal gift to President Theodore,
it was sent from Oyster Bay to the White House because, as
Roosevelt wrote, "the pictures of the White House [then
almost exclusively portraits] are not all that fancy".
Gift of Henry Clay Frick.
902.1537.1
North Wall - west
The Peacemakers by George Peter Alexander Healy (1813-1894)
oil on canvas, 1868. This scene depicts a meeting late
in the Civil War between President Abraham Lincoln and
(left-to-right) Major-General William T. Sherman,
Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant, and Rear-Admiral David
D. Porter. On March 27 and 28, 1865, these leaders met
aboard the River Queen, the steamer which had brought the
Lincolns to Grant's headquarters on the James River during
the siege of Richmond, Virginia. They discussed the
favorable prospects for a speedy peace, which engendered
Healy's title and inclusion of an optimistic rainbow in the
cabin window. The likeness of Lincoln in this group
portrait, painted in Rome, closely resembles Healy's 1869
portrait of the president which currently hangs in the State
Dining Room. Healy is also represented in the White House
collection by six other presidential portraits.
U.S. Government purchase.
947.2558.1
-7-
FURNISHINGS
North Wall - east
STAND, walnut, late 19th century, American.
Square; neoclassical motifs include Ionic capital and
palmettes atop square tapered column; base with low feet
at canted corners.
Acquisition undocumented.
960.108.1
East Wall
BOOKCASES, pair, walnut, 1993, made by the White House Carpentry
Shop, designed by Kaki Hockersmith and Kathleen Wenskus.
Tall; pediment frieze inlaid with leaf swags between
wreathes; bellflowers and paterae on stiles. P93.H03595.1-2
VASES, pair, porcelain, early 19th century, France.
Gilt neck and foot; slender ram's-head handles; painted
scene on each side - church and "The Flight of Bianca(?)"
on .1525, lakeside house and "Maternal Care" on .1526.
Acquisition undocumented.
960.1525-1526
DESSERT STAND, from set of four, gilded silver, 1809-1813,
London, made by Paul Storr.
Grapevine-overlaid shallow woven basket atop three
caryatids; engraved with armorial device of the Order
of the Garter, the highest British order of nobility.
Bequest of Mrs. Margaret Thompson Biddle.
958.4175.4
VASE, porcelain, c.1825-1830, France.
Small, elliptical; paw feet; reserve portrait of Andrew
Jackson in uniform titled "Gen. Jackson", based on prints
after portrait by John Vanderlyn, c.1819.
White House Acquisition Fund.
979.1415.1
VASE, glass, gilded bronze, and marble, mid-19th century, France.
Scalloped-edged trumpet of partially ruby-stained glass;
ram's-head and acanthus leaf mount on marble base.
Gift of Clement E. Conger.
974.1110.1
URNS, pair, bronze and gilded bronze, early 19th century, France.
Classical form; leaf-scroll handles from ram's-head mounts;
White House Acquisition Fund.
961.139.1-2
EASY CHAIR and OTTOMAN
Property of President and Mrs. Clinton.
OCCASIONAL TABLE, mahogany, c.1969, American.
Chippendale style; piecrust top; tripod.
U.S. Government purchase.
POO.H02798.1
-8-
East Wall (continued)
FLOOR LAMP, one of pair, brass and tole, c.1965, American.
Bridge-type; painted tole shade; reeded shaft, sabre legs.
Purchased for President Lyndon B. Johnson's Oval Office.
Transferred from the General Services Administration.
P74.J00958.1
MANTEL, marble, 1902, Italy.
Bardiglio (veined) marble moldings; white marble stile
panels carved with the fasces, a Roman symbol of authority,
topped by the Liberty cap; white marble frieze with central
inscription panel - "THIS ROOM WAS FIRST USED FOR/ MEETINGS
OF THE CABINET/ DURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF/ PRESIDENT
JOHNSON. IT CONTINUED/ TO BE so USED UNTIL THE YEAR/ MCMII
HERE THE TREATY OF/ PEACE WITH SPAIN WAS SIGNED."
Purchased during the Theodore Roosevelt Renovation of the
White House in 1902; one of eight mantels supplied by
R.C. Fisher & Co., New York, N.Y.
902.1208.1
ANDIRONS, pair, brass, c.1840, American.
Tall lidded urn; broad spurred leg structure. Believed to
have been used in the White House during the Zachary Taylor
administration; descended in the Taylor family.
Gift of Admiral and Mrs. Edward J. Foy.
962.60.1-2
FENDER, brass and iron wire, c.1830-1840, American.
Three urn finials on brass rim; wire mesh in elliptical
grid; three brass gadrooned bulb feet.
White House Acquisition Fund.
962.302.1
FIRE SCREEN, iron, mid-20th century, American.
Five-fold; flat frame; square wire mesh.
U.S. Government purchase.
P00.F03400.1
FIRETOOLS (shovel, poker, tongs, brush, stand), brass,
mid-20th century, American.
Hexagonal bulb finials; paw feet on pierced stand.
U.S. Government purchase.
P00.F00708.1-5
WOOD BASKET, brass, mid-20th century, American.
Tubular pinned handle with anthemion mounts; scrolled legs.
U.S. Government purchase.
P00.F02277.1-4
OVERMANTEL MIRROR, one of a pair, gilded gesso and wood, glass,
1853, New York.
Elaborate leafy scrollwork throughout; large U.S. shield at
center of crestwork. Purchased for the Green Room during
the Franklin Pierce administration; among 18 mirror frames
supplied by L.R. Menger, New York, N.Y.
853.1047.2
-9-
East Wall (continued)
SCONCES, pair, gilded wood, early 19th century, probably England.
Two cord strands overlaid with eagle and trophy of hunting
horn and torch; two C-scrolled brass candle arms.
Purchased for President Lyndon B. Johnson's Oval Office.
Transferred from the General Services Administration.
988.1631.1-2
TOBACCO JARS, pair, earthenware, late 18th century, Holland.
Ovoid; dark blue scenes of American Indian smoking a pipe
amid baskets and bundles of tobacco leaves.
White House Acquisition Fund.
973.1047.1-2
URNS, pair, gilded bronze, c.1817, France.
Slender; classical mounts of grapevines, olive branches,
palmettes, wreathes, lotus, and female masques.
Among the French furnishings purchased by President James
Monroe in 1817, designated for the State Dining Room.
U.S. Government purchase.
817.1345-146
South Wall
ARM CHAIR, walnut and mahogany, late 19th century, English.
Cabriole front legs with shell-carved knees and pad feet.
Gift of William and Shirley Burden.
955.3394.1
CONFERENCE TABLE, walnut, c.1869, New York,
made by Pottier & Stymus Manufacturing Company.
Black leather top; eight drawers in apron;
Part of a suite commissioned for the redecoration of this
room in 1869 under President Grant (see attached pages for
detailed history).
U.S. Government purchase.
869.209.1
BOUILLOTTE LAMP, gilded bronze and tole, c.1800, France.
Eagle on wreath finial; tole shade; three scrolled
electrified candle arms; circular dish.
White House Acquisition Fund.
961.79.1
TABLE LAMP, gilded bronze and tole, 20th century.
Empire style; winged lions atop paw-footed supports.
Property of President and Mrs. Clinton.
BOOKEND, one of pair, walnut, 1941, made by H. Watson.
Seated figure of John Harvard after Daniel Chester French's
1883 bronze monument at Harvard College, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; plaque on reverse - given to President
Franklin D. Roosevelt "in commemoration of his third term".
Gift of the maker.
941.1994.1
-10-
South Wall (continued)
DESK CHAIR, leather, 1989, American.
Rolled crest of tufted back; rolled, closed arms; five-
legged swivel pedestal.
U.S. Government purchase.
P89.H003597.1
SIDE TABLE, c.1993, mahogany, American.
Slender; three drawers in apron; Marlborough legs.
U.S. Government purchase.
TELEPHONE TABLE, one of pair, mahogany, 1989, New York.
Rectangular; square tapering legs with shelf.
U.S. Government purchase.
P89.H03487.1
West Wall
TALLCASE CLOCK, mahogany, c.1750, Philadelphia,
brass weight-driven works by Emanuel Rouse.
Carved flaming-urn finials on arched hood with shell and
leaf carving; marked brass dial; bracket feet.
Gift of the National Historical Foundation. 974.1089.1
CARD TABLES, pair, mahogany, c.1820, New York,
attributed to Charles-Honore Lannuier.
Rectangular, rounded front corners; gilt stenciling;
partially-gilded winged lion's-paw feet.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 965.585.1-2
LAMP, one of pair, bronze and glass, c.1830, France.
Glass font with German burner; reeded column; three leaf-
capped paw-footed legs atop triangular base.
White House Acquisition Fund.
963.439.1
SOFA, mahogany, c.1760, probably New York.
Chippendale; triple-arched back; fret carved legs and
stretchers; period type seat pad; the oldest piece of
seat furniture in the White House collection.
Gift of the National Historical Foundation. 970.672.1
GAMING TABLE, walnut, 1993, designed by Kaki Hockersmith,
made by Trosby, Atlanta.
Removable top inlaid with Presidential Seal and
checkerboard; backgammon board sub-top; deep apron with end
drawer accessing hand-hole to raise top; cabriole legs with
carved acanthus leaf knees and ball-and-claw feet.
Property of President and Mrs. Clinton.
WING CHAIRS, pair, birch, 1930, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Reproduction in William & Mary style; tall crest; paneled
cabriole front legs with Spanish feet; H-stretcher.
Received as part of a 1930 donation of furniture for the
Oval Office following the West Wing fire of Christmas Eve
1929; moved to Residence when found to be unnecessary for
the Oval Office. Gift of Grand Rapids Furniture
930.409-410
-11-
West Wall (continued)
ASTRAL LAMP, bronze, gilded bronze, and glass, c.1835, American.
Squat glass shade cut with flowers and Greek key; reeded
column on four paw-footed legs on concave-sided base.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 976.1298.1
TREATY FACSIMILE, paper, 1962, by the Department of State.
Articles V and VI of the Peace Protocol with Spain,
August 12, 1898. From a group produced for display in the
Treaty Room as decorated by Mrs. Kennedy in 1962.
P62.P02110.1
North Wall
TABLE, mahogany and marble, c.1829, Philadelphia,
labeled by Anthony Quervelle.
Circular top with black marble inset; pedestal with scroll
brackets atop platform on paw feet. Purchased with smaller
matching tables 829.239-240 (now in Lincoln Bedroom) in 1829
under President Andrew Jackson for placement under each of
three chandeliers in the newly completed East Room.
U.S. Government purchase.
829.269.1
PRESENTATION CUP, silver, 1899, New York, made by Tiffany & Co.
Three leaf-and-berry handles above seals of the United
States, Spain, and France; pedestal of three eagles with
olive branches and stars on base; relief inscription -
"Presented by the President of the United States [William
McKinley] to his Excellency M. Jules Cambon, Ambassador of
France, in token of his friendly services in the negotiation
of the Protocol of Peace between the United States and
Spain, August 12, 1898".
White House Acquisition Fund.
972.834.1
ARMCHAIRS, pair, mahogany, 1929, New York, made by Schmidt Bros.
Hepplewhite reproductions; oval back; padded arms.
Made for 1929 redecoration of the Green Room.
U.S. Government purchase.
929.592-593
CHANDELIER, gilded metal, c.1902, American.
Spread eagle finial; used in the Red Room from 1902-1948.
U.S. Government purchase.
960.3454.1
HERIZ RUG, c.1850-1875, wool, Persia.
Gorevan-type medallion design in navy, brown, and light blue
with red corners; typical Herati stripe in primary border.
Gift of the National Historical Foundation. 971.678.1
CONFERENCE TABLE
This walnut conference table was purchased for the Cabinet
Room (then on the Second Floor of the White House) in 1869 during
the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant. It was part of
a suite of furniture made by the Pottier & Stymus Manufacturing
Company, a New York firm known for its high-quality product
uniquely designed for each commission.
It is fitted with locking drawers in which the President and
his seven Cabinet officers (State, Treasury, War, Justice, Post
Office, Navy, and Interior) could keep their papers. It is
uncertain how an eighth Cabinet member was accommodated with the
creation of the Department of Agriculture in 1889, but the table
continued in use until 1902, when a new Cabinet Room was provided
in the newly constructed West Wing.
In 1961, Mrs. Kennedy reassembled the remaining pieces from
the suite - this table, a sofa, and four chairs - in that same
Second Floor room, renamed the Treaty Room, which had served as
the Cabinet Room from 1865 to 1902. Removed to storage in 1989,
but recalled for several important treaty signings, this table
was returned to the Treaty Room in 1993 for use as a desk by
President Bill Clinton.
Among the historic documents which have been signed on
this table are the following:
1. The Peace Protocol ending hostilities of the Spanish-American
War, August 12, 1898
In attendance in the Cabinet Room were President William
McKinley, Secretary of State William Day, who signed for
the United States, and French Ambassador Jules Cambon, who
signed for Spain. The actual peace treaty, the Treaty of
Paris, was signed on December 10.
2. The Pact of Paris (Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact),
January 15, 1929
The table was moved from the Second Floor to the East Room
for President Calvin Coolidge to sign this pact after its
ratification by the Senate. The pact, signed in Paris by
15 nations on August 27, 1928 and eventually adhered to by
48 others, provided that the contracting powers would
"condemn recourse to war for the solution of international
controversies, and renounce it as an instrument of national
policy". A war of self-defense, however, was understood to
be excepted.
3. Arms Limitation Treaty with the Soviet Union, October 3, 1972
The table was moved from the Treaty Room to the East Room
for President Richard M. Nixon and Andrei A. Gromyko,
Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs, to sign this "Treaty on
Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems and Interim
Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms".
4. Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Treaty with the Soviet Union,
May 28, 1976
The table was again moved to the East Room for President
Gerald R. Ford to sign this "Treaty on Underground Nuclear
Explosion for Peaceful Purposes".
5. Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, March 26, 1979
The table was moved to the North Lawn in front of the North
Portico for the signing by President Anwar Sadat of Egypt
and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel, with President
Jimmy Carter witnessing, of the "Treaty of Peace Between the
Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel".
6. Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty with the Soviet Union,
December 8, 1987
The table was moved to the East Room for President Ronald W.
Reagan and Mikhail S. Gorbachev, General Secretary of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet
Union, to sign this "Treaty
on the Elimination of Their
Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles".
7. Agreements and Protocols with the Soviet Union, June 1, 1990
The table was placed in the East Room for President George
Bush and Mikhail S. Gorbachev, President of the Soviet
Union, to sign an "Agreement on Destruction and Non-
Production of Chemical Weapons" and a "Protocol to the
Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon
Tests", among other documents. The table was also used for
a news conference held by the two presidents in the East
Room on June 3.
8. Treaties and Agreements with several of the former Soviet
Republics, 1992
The table was placed in the East Room for President George
Bush for signing ceremonies with the Ukraine (May 6),
Kazakhstan (May. 19), Russia (June 17).
9. The Israel-Palestinian Agreement, September 13, 1993
The table was placed on the South Lawn for signing
ceremonies hosted by President Bill Clinton in the presence
of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Chairman Yasser Arafat.
The signing by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO
Executive Council Member Mahmoud Abbas was witnessed by
Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Russian Foreign
Minister Andrei Kozyrev. The audience included former
Presidents Jimmy Carter and George Bush.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Office of the Curator
September 8, 1993
THE LINCOLN SITTING ROOM
This small southeast corner room seems to have been little
used in the early years of the White House, having been listed
simply as "empty" in the inventory taken in 1825. From at least
1829 until 1902, it was a part of the presidential office suite
at the east end of the Second Floor of the Residence, a room
usually occupied by clerks or secretaries. Although the larger
adjacent room was most often used as the president's office or
cabinet room, President John Tyler used this room as his office.
In 1866, under President Andrew Johnson, telegraph equipment
was installed, and in 1879, under President Rutherford B. Hayes,
the first White House telephone was added to this "Telegraph
Room". In 1898, the telegraph reported the news of the sinking
of the U.S.S. Maine in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, and the room
became the "War Room", in which President William McKinley
followed the course of the ensuing Spanish-American War. It was
also in this room that the news was first received at the White
House of the 1881 shooting of President James Garfield at a
Washington train station and the 1901 assassination of McKinley
in Buffalo.
When the presidential offices were moved to the newly
constructed West Wing in 1902, this room became a small bedroom.
In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt furnished it with maple furniture made
at the Val-Kill shop on the Roosevelt's estate, a cottage
industry she helped establish to provide fuller employment for
farm men and women in the area of Hyde Park, N.Y.
After the Truman Renovation of the White House, 1948-1952,
the room was refurnished more as a sitting room, with a small bed
serving as a sofa. In the Kennedy administration, it was
redecorated in the Victorian flavor, to better complement the
Lincoln Bedroom. An olive and rust color scheme was selected,
using a dotted fabric on the walls and paisley draperies. In
1973, the Victorian chandelier was added to a room which had
become a favorite of President Richard Nixon as a quiet hideaway.
In 1981, the room was refurbished in the same basic style, but
with new fabrics in a beige and rust color scheme.
-2-
In 1993, President and Mrs. Clinton requested a stronger
Victorian decor for the room, which was created by Kaki
Hockersmith, Little Rock, in burgundy, gold, and cream colors.
The ceiling has been covered with a bold coffer-patterned paper.
The walls have been painted a cream color with the window frames,
chair rail, and cornice in gold and a burgundy sub-cornice band.
At the two windows have been hung draperies of a burgundy
silk with gilt decorations, including paired leaf-tailed dolphins
seen most clearly at the base of the ovoid valance shield from
which swags hang. These draperies, designed by Ms. Hockersmith
in 1993 for a Little Rock showhouse, were donated by her.
The ingrain rug is patterned with alternating rosettes and
medallions in red, green, and gold. A two-ply wool carpet flat-
woven in 36-inch strips, a type popular in American, 1850-1875,
it was first reproduced for the Smithsonian Institution's 1976
exhibition on the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
-3-
FINE ARTS
Entry
Grand Reception at the White House, January, 1862
by Alfred Rudolph Waud (1828-1891)
from January 25, 1862 issue of Harper's Weekly
hand-colored wood engraving. President and Mrs. Lincoln
receiving guests in the Blue Room during a New Year's
Reception. White House Acquisition Fund.
965.584.1
North Wall
LINCOLN PROGRAM, paper, 1861, American.
Program for the Lincoln Inaugural Ball, March 4, 1861.
Acquisition undocumented.
961.16.1
A. Lincoln by Jordan Tchopp (?-?),
after a photo by Anthony Berger, taken at the Brady
Gallery, February 9, 1864
woven silk, 1866, Basel, Switzerland. Memorial portrait;
American eagle, flags, shield, and mourning Columbia;
inscription derived from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address,
March 4, 1865. Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth Bissinger. 962.235.1
Northeast Wall
Ulysses S. Grant by Henry Ulke (1821-1910)
oil on canvas, 1875. Life portrait of Grant painted during
his presidency. Ulke, a German-born artist, immigrated to
the United States in 1852 and lived in Washington, D.C.,
1860-1910, where he operated a photography and portrait
studio. U.S. Government Purchase.
879.1527.1
-4-
East Wall
Butterfly by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902)
oil and pencil on paper on pasteboard, January 20, 1893.
The artist created many butterflies such as this to be small
tokens of his art for special acquaintances. He placed a
few daubs of pigment on paper that was then folded. With a
palette knife, he made a few strokes along the outside of
the paper which when opened would reveal a butterfly.
During a stay at the White House in 1878, Bierstadt executed
several butterflies for the Hayes family. These butterflies
along with one created by Mrs. Hayes using the artist's
technique are now part of the collection of the Hayes
Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Graham.
962.268.1
Ulysses S. Grant by Thomas LeClear (1818-1882)
oil on canvas, c.1881. Possibly a bust study for the
full-length portrait now hanging in the East Foyer.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 988.1644.1
South Wall
U.S. Capitol after William Henry Bartlett (1809-1854)
oil on tin, c.1840. The Capitol as completed in 1826
by Charles Bulfinch, Architect of the Capitol, 1817-1829.
The smaller side domes over the original House and Senate
chambers remain today, but the larger central dome was
replaced when the building was enlarged, 1856-1865. At the
foot of the Capitol grounds appears Pennsylvania Avenue with
a few of the poplar trees planted at the direction of
President Thomas Jefferson. Gift of Lawrence Fleischman.
962.183.1
The Republican Court in the Days of Lincoln
by Peter Frederick Rothermel (1812-1895)
(formerly called Reception at the White House
and attributed to Francis Bicknell Carpenter)
oil on canvas, c.1867. Imaginary scene of a reception in
the East Room, showing President and Mrs. Lincoln, Vice
President Andrew Johnson, members of the Cabinet, and
prominent Union officers, including Generals Scott, Grant,
and Sherman, this painting was probably intended to be a
model for an engraving. A recently discovered, undated
broadside described the scene and announced plans for
publishing an engraving which, if it were even executed, has
never been discovered. Rothermel, best known as a painter
of historical subjects, more than likely used period prints
and photographs to recreate the East Room.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Winslow Carlton in memory of
962.294.1
-5-
West Wall
President Lincoln and His Family by George Spohn (?-?)
after Anton Hohenstein (c.1823-?)
published by Joseph Hoover, Philadelphia
lithograph, 1866. Fanciful outdoor scene, perhaps intended
to be the White House lawn looking towards the Potomac, of
President and Mrs. Lincoln and their three sons, Willie
(died 1862), Tad, and Robert in uniform (joined the army in
1864). Acquisition undocumented.
962.1173.1
Lincoln Family by Thomas Kelly (1836-1914)
colored lithograph, 1866. Fanciful indoor scene of
President and Mrs. Lincoln seated at a table before backdrop
drapery opened on view of the U.S. Capitol dome; sons Robert
and Willie standing behind, Tad at front left before Mary.
The Lincolns as a family never posed for an artist or a
photographer.
White House Acquisition Fund.
963.424.1
FURNISHINGS
North Wall
DESK (secretaire a abattant), mahogany and marble, 1932,
Washington, D.C., made by Morris W. Dove.
Reproduction of French Empire fallfront desk (now on exhibit
at the James Monroe Law Library, Fredericksburg, Virginia),
which Monroe purchased when he was Minister to France, 1794-
96, and reputedly used at the White House to sign his 1823
Annual Message to Congress (December 2) which included the
Monroe Doctrine concerning European non-interference in the
Americas. Among seven Monroe pieces copied for Mrs. Lou
Hoover in 1932, placed in what she called the "Monroe Room"
(Treaty Room). U.S. Government purchase.
932.391.1
MANTEL CLOCK, mahogany and gilded bronze, c.1815-1830, France.
Gilt dial and pendulum; four-column architectural housing.
Gift of Mrs. Beverley R. Robinson.
962.360.3
DESK SET, bronze, early 19th century, France.
Letter opener and paperweight with eagle head and wing.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick J. Stein and Family.
971.747.1-2
INKWELL, silver and glass, 20th century, by Black, Starr and
Frost.
Square glass body; chased, monogrammed, hinged silver lid.
Acquisition undocumented.
P00.D02288.1
-6-
North Wall (continued)
SIDE CHAIRS, pair, ebonized wood, c.1862, American.
From set with settee; rounded shield back; bronze plaque on
crest states they were presented by President and Mrs.
Lincoln to Mr. and Mrs. John DeWitt in 1862; gilt-lined
frame and turned front legs.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Parish, II.
962.22.2-3
Northeast Wall
MANTEL, marble, c.1951, American.
Grey; columns with white capitals and bases.
Purchased during the Truman Renovation.
P52.B02627.1
ANDIRONS, pair, brass and iron, late 19th century, American.
Gadrooned ball on spiraled shaft; square cabriole legs.
U.S. Government purchase.
960.2088.1-2
FENDER, brass, late 19th century, American.
Cross-pierced panel divided by rope molding; paw feet.
U.S. Government purchase.
960.1143.1
FIRETOOLS (shovel, tongs, brush, stand), brass,
late 19th century, American.
Canister-turned finials; circular pierced stand.
U.S. Government purchase.
960.1089.1-4
East Wall
EASY CHAIR, walnut/pine, c.1881, American.
Rolled crest and recessed arms; turned front legs.
Believed acquired for the Green Room in 1881 from Washington
retailer, W.B. Moses; used there until 1902.
U.S. Government purchase.
881.30.1
South Wall
OCCASIONAL TABLE, walnut with marble top, c.1860, American.
Victorian; scalloped top and frame; four cabriole legs.
Gift of Mrs. Emmett A. Lange.
961.172.1
-7-
South Wall (continued)
LAMP, brass and glass, c.1884, New York, designed by John
Williams.
Central shaft supported on a triangular base of three
dolphins; upper part of shaft has pierced round ornament.
Lamp was presented to Mrs. Grover Cleveland.
Gift of Mrs. T. Darrington Wadelton.
963.489.1
WATCH CASE, enameled gold, c.1865, possibly American.
Outdoors scenes of flowers and a girl with dog; associated
with the Petersen House in which Lincoln died, April 15,
1865; an 1865 gift from Mrs. Petersen to her niece, who had
only shortly recovered from an illness in the room in which
the wounded Lincoln was placed.
Gift of Mrs. Richard Bennett.
963.470.1
SOUP PLATE, porcelain, c.1880, Limoges, France,
made by Haviland & Co., designed by Theodore R. Davis.
From the commercial sets based on the designs for the Hayes
State Service; "Okra."
Gift of the Alma C. Brunner Trust.
991.1684.19
SOFA, walnut/pine, c.1881, American.
Rolled crest; large bolster arms; turned legs.
Believed acquired for the Green Room in 1881 from Washington
retailer, W.B. Moses; used there until 1902.
U.S. Government purchase.
881.35.1
CHEST OF DRAWERS, mahogany, c.1830-1850, American.
Late Empire style; tall; boldly veneered; faceted shallow
drawer below small faceted drawers flanking recessed white
marble basin slab; three graduated drawers between brackets
on scrolled feet. White House Acquisition Fund. 963.438.1
ASTRAL LAMPS, pair, gilt bronze and glass, c.1825-1830,
Philadelphia, by Louis Veron.
Empire in style with center oil font having two tiers of
glass prisms; double brackets hold vase-shaped glass globes.
Veron supplied lighting fixtures to the White House in the
Andrew Jackson administration.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 965.572.1-2
BOX, pressed glass and silverplate, 20th century, American.
Slender rectangle; diamond and diamond-star pattern.
White House Acquisition Fund.
P62.G03450.8
BOX, pressed glass and silverplate, late 19th century, American.
Round-ended rectangle; diamond and diamond-star pattern;
deep stars on bottom.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. O.V. Porter.
962.219.1
-8-
South Wall (continued)
COFFEE TABLE, mahogany, 1969, American.
French-style; oval cross-banded crotched-veneered top with
brass rail; square tapering legs with classically molded cap
and foot. White House Purchase.
₱69.H01913.1
SOUP PLATE, porcelain, c.1880, Limoges, France,
made by Haviland & Co., designed by Theodore R. Davis.
From the commercial sets based on the designs for the Hayes
State Service; "The Frog."
Gift of the Alma C. Brunner Trust.
991.1684.18
West Wall
ARMCHAIRS, pair, mahogany, c.1860, American.
Rococo-revival style; flower-carved crest applied to balloon
back; padded arms; cabriole front legs with shell-carved
knees. Probably U.S. Government purchase.
960.65-66
CENTER TABLE, walnut and burl walnut, c.1880, American.
Louis XVI-revival style; rectangular with rounded ends;
large marquetry panel of agricultural implements and flowers
in top, oval marquetry reserves of musical instruments on
apron; incised lines throughout. Possibly acquired during
the Chester Arthur administration; used in the Green Room in
the late 19th century. U.S. Government purchase. 881.297.1
ANTIQUE CONTINENTAL TELEPHONE, gold-plate decoration on steel,
c.1892, Sweden, made by the Ericsson Company.
First hand-set type of telephone - mouthpiece and receiver
in single unit; in use in America, c.1894-1905; mechanically
renovated and updated, c.1963.
Gift of George Levine.
963.483.1
ASTRAL LAMP, brass and glass, c.1850, American.
Plain columnar shaft supports a frosted glass globe
decorated with flowers and leaves; faceted and notched tip
prisms hang below globe.
White House Purchase.
972.871.1
PIER MIRROR, gilded wood and glass, c.1825, probably American.
Tall, slender; large eagle on olive branch mounted on
frieze; acorns and acanthus leaves on cornice and base;
fluted-spiral engaged columns with grapevine band.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 963.476.1
-9-
CHANDELIER, cut and frosted glass, c.1860, possibly American.
Six electrified arms; diamond-pointed pendant prisms.
Gift of William Boswell.
973.1038.1
RUG, wool, 1993, New York, made by Scalamandre.
Alternating rosettes and medallions in red, green, and gold;
ingrain, flat-woven "Scotch" carpet in 36-inch strips, a
type popular in America, 1850-1875; reproduction first
created for the Smithsonian Institution's 1976 exhibition on
the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
Purchased with funds donated for the 1993 redecoration.
The Oval Office
The Oval Office is the President's formal workspace, where he confers with heads of
state, diplomats, his staff, and other dignitaries; where he often addresses the American
public and the world on television or radio; and where he deals with issues of the day.
The current Oval Office was constructed when the West Wing was expanded in
1934. Architectural features of the present Oval Office include: the Presidential Seal in
plaster relief in the ceiling; the marble mantel designed in the classical order which was
original to the 1909 Oval Office; the doors to the veranda and study, each with a pedi-
ment above a horizontal fasces, the classical symbol of the governing authority; and the
window and shelf niches with shell canopies.
In August 1981, this room was painted in its current color scheme-off-white
walls with the cornice and woodwork highlighted with a purer white.
In 1982, a new floor of walnut and white oak was added. This hardwood floor
replaced a simulated wood-grain vinyl installed in 1969 during the administration of
President Richard M. Nixon. That floor, in turn, had replaced a cork flooring installed
in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's new office in 1934.
During August 1988, the cove lighting around the ceiling of the Oval Office was
improved using the most recent developments in fluorescent lamp technology. These
new fixtures, which are more compact and provide light of warmer color, replaced lights
originally installed during the administration of President Richard M. Nixon.
While the architectural features of the Oval Office remain constant, the interior
furnishings often change. On January 20, 1993, with the inauguration of President
Clinton, new gold damask draperies were installed, consisting of a six-swag valance and
three pairs of straight overcurtains in a popular 18th-century acanthus leaf pattern. At
the same time, the two high-back armchairs before the fireplace, were reupholstered in a
gold fabric. The changes to the Oval Office were completed in August 1993, under the
direction of Little Rock designer, Kaki Hockersmith. An ornamental blue tape was
added as trim to the drapery valance and panels. The two sofas acquired in 1990 were
rebuilt and recovered in a red-and-cream striped silk with pillows of red silk decorated
with gilt leaf medallions. The seats of the cane-backed armchairs around the room were
recovered in a specially made blue silk called "Little Rock diamond".
A new oval wool carpet was woven for the room. A dark blue field centers a
full-color Presidential Coat-of-Arms encircled by fifty white stars and framed by a gilt
rope band nestled into a plain red band. This framing band is repeated on the exterior
of the rug's border which features green olive branches and gold laurel wreaths separated
by red rosettes on a white field, framed on the interior by a gold rope band.
The President's desk, known as the "Resolute" desk, was made from the oak tim-
bers of the British ship H.M.S. Resolute as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from
Queen Victoria in 1880. It has been used by every president since Hayes, excepting
Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.
(For a description of the artwork in the Oval Office, refer to the attached Brief Description of the Art supplement)
8
10-25-2000 10:44AM FROM EXEC. RES. CURATORS 2024566820
P.2
Office of the Curator
The White House
"Resolute" Desk
This double pedestal desk, usually called the "Resolute
desk", was made from the oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S.
Resolute as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen
Victoria in 1880. It has been used by every president since
Hayes, excepting Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford, 1964-1977.
It was used in the President's Office on the Second Floor of
the Residence from 1880 until 1902, at which time the office was
moved to the newly constructed West Wing. This desk remained,
however, on the Second Floor of the Residence in the President's
Study. President Franklin D. Roosevelt requested that the rear
kneehole be fitted with a panel carved with the presidential
coat-of-arms, but he did not live to see it installed in 1945.
After the Truman Renovation of the White House, 1948-1952,
it was placed in the Broadcast Room on the Ground Floor where it
was used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower during radio and
television broadcasts. It was first used in the Oval Office in
1961 at the request of President John F. Kennedy. After President
Lyndon B. Johnson selected another desk for his office, it was
lent to a Kennedy Library traveling exhibition, 1964-1965, and
then to the Smithsonian Institution for exhibition, 1966-1977.
In January 1977, President Jimmy Carter requested that this
historic desk be returned to the White House for use again in the
Oval Office, where it remained for President Ronald W. Reagan,
1981-89. President George Bush used it in the Oval Office for
five months in 1989 before having it moved to his Residence
Office in exchange for a desk he had used as Vice President.
On January 20, 1993, this historic desk was returned to the
Oval Office for use by President Clinton.
A brass plaque affixed to the desk records the history of
its creation:
H.M.S. "Resolute", forming part of the expedition sent
in search of Sir John Franklin in 1852, was abandoned in
Latitude 74°41' N. Longitude 101°22' W. on 15th May 1854.
She was discovered and extricated in September 1855, in
Latitude 67° N. by Captain Buddington of the United States
Whaler 'George Henry'. The ship was purchased, fitted out
and sent to England, as a gift to Her Majesty Queen Victoria
by the President and People of the United States, as a token
of goodwill & friendship. This table was made from her
timbers when she was broken up, and is presented by the
Queen of Great Britain & Ireland, to the President of the
United States, as a memorial of the courtesy and loving
kindness which dictated the offer of the gift of the "Resolute'.
Measurements: H. 32 1/2 in.; W. 72 in.; D. 48 in.
10-25-2000 10:45AM FROM EXEC. RES. CURATORS 2024566820
P.3
-11-
Center (continued)
Rug, wool, 1993, Grand Rapids, Michigan, made by the Scott Group,
designed by Kaki Hockersmith and Scalamandre.
Oval (30'3" X 23'2"); dark blue field centers a full-color
Presidential Coat-of-Arms encircled by fifty white stars and
framed by a gilt rope band nestled into a plain red band;
band repeated as outside of border of green olive branches
and gold laurel wreathes separated by red rosettes on a
white field, lined on the interior by a gilt rope band.
Gift of an anonymous donor.
993.1732.1
107 WED 14:44 FAX 202 456 6235
SOCIAL OFFICE
002
INNER
Incommemoration of the
50th Anniversary of the signing of
Then North Atlantic Treaty
and in recognition of
Ther Members of the
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
Chicken Breast with Fire Roasted Onions
Cumin Scented Sweet Potato, Corn and Pepper Chili
Orange and Mango Salad
Grilled Filet of Bison
Baby Vegetábles and Spring Potatoes
Crimini Mushroomand Cabernet Sauce
Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Field Greens, Endive and Sprouts
Shallot Chive Dressing
NATO 50th Anniversary cake
CHALONE Chardonnay1997
PRIDE MOUNTAINMerlot1996
SCHRAMSBERG Grémant 1985
The White House
Paturday,April24,1999
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
Press Releases
Divider Title:
Kimberly Hines
Shadwick PR
202-585-2049
[White House]
Erika # Symposium
[[email protected] [Khynes
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
November 23, 1993
Statement by the Press Secretary
The following is a packet regarding White House restorations.
#
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES RESTORATIONS
As have most of their predecessors in the White House,
President and Mrs. Clinton have undertaken several interior
refurbishings and restorations to ensure the upkeep of the
Executive Mansion as a living museum that has been the home and
office of every President since John Adams. No public funds were
spent on the work.
The recently completed work is part of the routine
maintenance and restoration of the White House and concludes the
initial phase of a broader restoration project to include
additional repairs and maintenance. According to White House
Curator Rex Scouten, significant restorations are necessary about
every 10 years due to the heavy volume of tourists and guests who
visit the White House each week.
In addition to the routine maintenance and restoration, some
changes reflect the lifestyle of the occupant family, such as
converting the butler's pantry into an everyday kitchen for
family meals, the President's work habits (installing bookcases
in the Treaty Room), and the taste and character of the
President's principal work place, the Oval Office, which now has
new drapes and carpet.
The restoration featured the re-upholstering or recovering
of 73 pieces of furniture and furnishings, the conservation of 23
pieces of furniture already in the White House collection and the
retrieval of 52 pieces of furniture and 22 historic and
decorative pieces from storage for use within the house. Two
floors were repaired and re-covered. Twenty-eight windows
received new curtains. Nineteen carpets and underlays worn and
needing attention were replaced. Eleven chandeliers were
conserved.
The President and Mrs. Clinton are already involved in
making needed refurbishments in the state rooms of the White
House. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House met
earlier this month to discuss the restoration projects in the
Blue Room and East Room. The President recently appointed
Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Director, Studio Museum in Harlem; J.
Thomas Savage, Jr., Curator, Historic Charleston Foundation; Dick
Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation; Leonore
Annenberg and Kaki Hockersmith of Hockersmith Interiors to the
Committee for Preservation of the White House. The President re-
appointed the following members of the Committee for Preservation
of the White House: Leslie Greene Bowman, Curator, Los Angeles
County Museum of Art; Wendy Cooper, Curator of Decorative Arts,
Baltimore Museum of Art; Jonathan Fairbanks, Katherine Lane Weems
Curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Museum of Fine Arts;
Richard Nylander, Curator of Collections, Society for the
Preservation of New England Antiquities; John Wilmerding,
Christopher Binyon Sarofim '86 Professor in American Art,
Princeton University; Mark Hampton; William Kloss and Charles W.
Engelhard, Jr. (A complete list of the members of the Committee
for the Preservation of the White House is attached.)
Included in the restoration were portions of the family
quarters and rooms widely used for private work, meetings,
official functions, and entertaining -- the Oval Office, Treaty
Room, West Sitting Room, and Lincoln Sitting Room. The most
extensive changes were made to enhance the special character of
the Oval Office and the Treaty Room -- the President's two
offices -- and to expand their use as public and private work
areas.
o New gold draperies were installed in the Oval Office
after President Clinton's inauguration in January.
Further improvements included restyling and recovering
the office's two sofas, reupholstering two high-back
armchairs, recovering several cane-back armchairs, and
installing a new oval carpet with 13 colors that was
woven specially for the room. The carpet, with its
deep blue field, features the Presidential Seal
encircled by fifty white stars and framed by a gilt
double rope.
Over the years, the Treaty Room, now a Presidential office
located in the residence, has served as a Cabinet Room, sitting
room, Presidential reception room, and private study. It has
also been the site of important treaty signings, such as the
Peace Protocol marking the end of the Spanish-American War in
1898 and the Treaty for a Partial Nuclear Test Ban signed by
President Kennedy. Aware of the room's rich past, President
Clinton was committed to restoring its 19th century character
while also maintaining it as a working office and meeting area
for visiting dignitaries. The table in the Treaty Room, now
serving as the President's desk, was used this fall by the
signators of the Israeli-Palestinian Agreement.
O The refurbishing of the Treaty Room was accomplished
with the addition of stained walnut woodwork, inlaid
walnut bookcases, new wallpaper, new upholstery and
draperies, and a repainted ceiling medallion.
In the family quarters of the residence, most of the
restoration consisted of necessary maintenance, repainting,
carpeting, and upholstering.
O A butler's pantry was converted into an everyday
kitchen now used for family meals. A large wood island
was removed and replaced with an expandable breakfast
table and chairs.
2
o The carpet on the second floor, worn from constant
use, was replaced and moved to the third floor hallway.
o The third-floor solarium, where the First Family
entertains and convenes meetings, received new drapes,
upholstery and wallpaper. Similar improvements were
made to the second floor master bedroom and family
room.
The recent improvements, totalling $396,429.46, were
financed by private donations of money to the White House
Historical Association, including a donation from surplus funds
of the Presidential Inaugural Committee as well as donations of
goods and services to the National Park Service. (The Inaugural
Committee also contributed funds to the Vice President's
Residence Foundation.) The Clintons chose not to use the $50,000
appropriated by Congress for White House restorations.
Among the donations to the National Park Service was $74,607
contributed by the Clinton/Gore Transition Foundation in payments
to Kaki Hockersmith of Little Rock, Arkansas, for her services as
the design consultant for the White House restoration project.
(The Transition Foundation is privately funded.) Ms. Hockersmith
devoted a significant amount of personal time to the project,
essentially closing her small business and dedicating nearly an
entire year to the White House refurbishment. Ms. Hockersmith
also donated draperies of her design which now hang in the
Lincoln Sitting Room. (Lists of those who contributed to the
White House Historical Association and the National Park Service
are attached. A list of members of the White House Historical
Association is also attached.)
In late November 1992, Ms. Hockersmith, president of Kaki
Hockersmith Interiors, began working with the White House curator
and usher's offices to review the condition of the residence and
offices used by the President to determine a priority list for
refurbishments. She oversaw the gathering and placement of
historic objects to be displayed throughout the residence and
offices of the White House -- a priority for the Clintons.
Ms. Hockersmith surveyed storage facilities inside the White
House and the main storage warehouse in Maryland for paintings,
furniture that could be used after refurbishment, and other
suitable furnishings. To minimize costs, nearly all of the
furniture used for the restoration came from Executive Residence
storage.
Most of the draperies and upholstering were done by Nelson
Beck, a Washington, D.C. firm recommended by the White House
curator and usher's offices and widely acclaimed for its quality
workmanship and attention to historical detail.
3
Nelson Beck has assisted in a number of earlier projects at
the White House, including upholstering the walls of the Green
Room, upholstering the Bellange chairs in the Blue Room, and
providing slipcovers and upholstery for the Bushes and the
Reagans.
Other work done by Nelson Beck includes drapery treatments
and upholstery for the Vice President's house during Nelson
Rockefeller's term, the draperies and window treatments in the
restored period offices at the Treasury Department, as well as
work for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the
National Portrait Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, the Museum of
Modern Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the DAR Museum and the U.S.
Capitol.
"We are grateful to the many Americans whose generous
contributions have helped preserve the White House as a proud
piece of American history and an ongoing national treasure, " the
President and Mrs. Clinton said.
###
Attachments (4)
4
THE WHITE HOUSE
COMMITTEE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE WHITE HOUSE
MEMBERS BY EXECUTIVE ORDER
Dr. Robert McCormick Adams
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC
J. Carter Brown
Commission of Fine Arts
Washington, DC
Roger G. Kennedy
National Park Service
Washington, DC
James I. McDaniel
National Park Service
Washington, DC
Earl A. Powell, III
National Gallery of Art
Washington, DC
Rex W. Scouten
White House Curator
Washington, DC
Gary J. Walters
White House Chief Usher
Washington, DC
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
COMMITTEE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE WHITE HOUSE
MEMBERS BY PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT
Leonore Annenberg
Kaki Hockersmith
Wynnewood, PA
Little Rock, AR
Leslie Greene Bowman
William Kloss
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Washington, DC
Los Angeles, CA
Kinshasha Holman Conwill
Richard Moe
Studio Museum in Harlem
National Trust for
New York, NY
Historic
Preservation
Washington, DC
Wendy Cooper
Richard Nylander
Baltimore Museum of Art
Society for the
Baltimore, MD
Preservation of
New England Antiquities
Boston, NA
Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.
J. Thomas Savage
Far Hills, NJ
Historic Charleston
Foundation
Charleston, S.C.
Jonathan Fairbanks
John Wilmerding
Museum of Fine Arts
Princeton University
Boston, MA
Princeton, NJ
Mark Hampton
New York, NY
ЭННАР
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
740 Jackson Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20503
(202) 737-8292
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Robert McCormick Adams
George B. Hartzog, Jr.
Smithsonian Institution
McLean, VA
Washington, DC
Robert L. Breeden
S. Roger Horchow
Washington, DC
Dallas, TX
J. Carter Brown
Roger G. Kennedy
Commission of Fine Arts
National Park Service
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Nash Castro
Dr. Elise K. Kirk
Palisades, NY
Washington, DC
Clark Clifford
James I. McDaniel
Washington, DC
Springfield, VA
Dr. G. Franklin Edwards
Ieoh Ming Pei
Washington, DC
New York, NY
George M. Elsey
Earl A. Powell III
Washington, DC
The National Gallery
of Art
Carson Glass
Washington, DC
Lubbock, TX
Hugh Sidey
Gilbert M. Grosvenor
Washington, DC
National Geographic
Washington, DC
Leonard Silverstein
Washington, DC
Alfred R. Stern
New York, NY
Joy Carter Sundlun
Washington, DC
H
ЯННР
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
740 Jackson Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20503
(202) 737-8292
DONORS TO THE WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Democratic Inaugural Committee
$300,000.00
The Amster Foundation
5,000.00
Michael and Carol Berman
1,000.00
James and Diane Blair
10,000.00
Jeffrey Epstein
10,000.00
Rod Fisher
10,000.00
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Friedman
10,000.00
Barbara Lubin Goldsmith Foundation
10,000.00
Greenwald Foundation
10,000.00
Elizabeth Irwin Kellogg
10,000.00
Howard Lutnick
10,000.00
Nina Pearson
10,000.00
A. Paul Prosperi
10,000.00
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Ricci
5,000.00
Nancy Rubin
1,500.00
Raymond J. and Patricia Seery
50.00
Valerie Silkebakken
10,000.00
Sills, Cummis, Zuckerman,
Radin, Tishman, Epstein & Gross
2,500.00
Rose Simonowitz
50.00
Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
2,000.00
TOTAL:
$427,100.00
OF THE INTERIOR
United States Department of the Interior
TAKE
PRIDEIN
ERIOR
AMERICA
U.S.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MARCH
1845
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
3
1100 OHIO DRIVE S. W.
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20242
CONTRIBUTORS TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
CONTRIBUTOR
CITY/STATE
CONTRIBUTION
Mr. Arthur Athas
San Francisco, CA
wallcoverings
and fabrics
Mr. George Bailey
Dallas, TX
fabrics,
Ms Lou Samuels
upholstery &
walleoverings
trim
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Bitter Long Island, NY
fabrics
Mr. Brett Blackstone
Dallas, TX
rugs
Mr. Ken Boyd
Dallas, TX
wallcoverings &
fabrics
Mr. Chuck Brown
Little Rock, AR
carpets
Mr. Rick Elliot
La Grange, GA
carpets
Mr. & Mrs. Lee Ficks
Cincinatti, OH
furniture
Mr. Stephen Gnadt -
Costa Mesa, CA
fabrics,
Mrs. Pat Gnadt
upholstery &,
wallcoverings
trim
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Hall
Dallas, TX
furniture
Mr. Stewart Hay
Cartersville, GA
carpet
Ms. Kaki Hockersmith
Little Rock, AR
fabrics
-2-
Mr. Christopher Hyland New York, NY
wallcoverings,
Mrs. Seth Pariser
fabrics &
sheers
Mr. Dick Johann
Samford, CN
fabrics
trim
Edith Jourdan
Warwick, RI
wallcoverings
Mr. and Mrs. James LaBarge
Holland, Michigan
furniture
Mr. David Martinous
Little Rock, AR
rug
Mr. Noel McDaniel
Dallas, TX
fabrics
Mr. Steve Mittman
New York, NY
furniture
Mr. Brad Noe
High Point, NC
furniture
Mr. Craig Shoemaker
Mr. Richard Ramus
Atlanta, GA
furniture
Mrs. Charlie Harper
Ms Lou Samuels
Dallas, TX
furniture
Mr. Stuart Schiller
Hialeh, TX
furnishings
Meri Stevens
New York, NY
fabric
Mr. Ken Taylor
Dallas, TX
furnishings
Mr. Steve Vignolo
New York, NY
fabrics
Mr. Bill Wagner
Englewood, NJ
fabrics
Ms Debbie White
Benton, AR
furniture
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: LISA CAPUTO
FEBRUARY 17, 1995
NEEL LATTIMORE
KAREN FINNEY
202-456-2960
EAST ROOM WORK COMPLETED
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Committee for the Preservation of The White
House today announced the completion of renovation work to the
fireplace mantels and baseboards, and the addition of three area
rugs to the White House's East Room.
The East Room, scene of many historic White House events, was
designed by architect James Hoban, as the "Public Audience Room."
It is the largest room in the White House and traditionally
contains little furniture. The East Room is used for large
gatherings, such as dances, concerts, weddings, press conferences
and bill signing-ceremonies.
Mantels and Baseboards
In accordance with the recommendations made to the Committee
for the Preservation of the White House in 1990, the mantels and
baseboards in the East Room have been stripped of the faux marble
painting to reveal their true red ("rouge antique") color, seen
before only in the unpainted hearths and torchere bases. This
Vermont marble was installed in the room in 1951 during the
Truman Renovation, replacing a different red marble installed in
1902. It was marbleized in white in 1961 and then marbleized in
white, siena, and black (mantels) or just siena (baseboards) in
1979.
Rugs
A new set of three rugs has been placed on the East Room
floor. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House
recommended in 1990 the commissioning of rugs to complement the
design and scale the plasterwork of the ceiling. The rugs are
made of loop pile wool in colors derived partly from rug designs,
1769-1776, by noted English designer Robert Adam. A pale green
was selected for the field with gold details (to complement the
draperies) and a reddish-brown (rouge antique) outer border (to
complement the exposed marble of the mantels and baseboards).
Rugs were last used in the East Room in 1902.
The large center rug (23'4 X 30'7 1/2) features a gold
fluted center medallion with scrolls and palmettes on a pale
green field framed by Greek key bands and classical borders.
The smaller end rugs (15'10-16' X 23'4) feature an octagonal
partially fluted center medallion framed by a similar field,
key bands, and classical borders. A supplemental end rug was
also acquired for future use.
-MORE-
PAGE 2 OF 2
These rugs, woven in 1994 by Edward Fields, Inc., New York,
have been donated by the White House Endowment Fund.
EAST ROOM RUGS, wool, 1994, New York,
made by Edward Fields, Inc.
Center - 23'4 X 30'7 1/2; ends - 15'10-16' X 23'4.
Three pieces in Adamesque style, largely derived from the
1951 plasterwork of the East Room ceiling; colors derived
from Robert Adam rug designs, 1769-1775.
Gift of The White House Endowment Fund.
###
ESTIMATE OF EXPENDITURES FOR THE EAST ROOM:
ESTIMATE
CARPET
$259,330.00
MARBLE WORK
$14,680.00
FLOOR WORK
$1,380.00
OVERTIME
(EXECUTIVE RESIDENCE STAFF)
$2,000.00
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
$1,000.00
TOTAL:
$278,390.00
10/12/2000 23:15 FAX
I
01
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
740 Jackson Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20503
FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION COVER SHEET
DATE: 10/12/00
TO:
Gaylene, WH Press office
FAX 456-7805
FROM:
John Riley
phone (202) 842-4527
fax (202) 682-2353
[email protected]
COMMENTS
TRANSMITTING 6 PAGES INCLUDING THIS COVER SHEET.
IF YOU NEED ANY PAGES RE-SENT, PLEASE CALL (202) 842-4527
10/12/2000 23:15 FAX
02
The KUNDREDTH 1800-2000 ANNIVERSANT
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Memorandum
October 6, 2000
To:
Capricia Marshall, Deputy Assistant to the President and Social Secretary
Cc:
Gary Walters, Hugh Sidey, Neil Horstman, Maria Downs
Fr:
John Riley, Director of Education and Scholarship Programs
Re:
John Adams Arrives at the White House, November 1, 2000
This is to provide a summary of our discussion on October 5 of the re-enactment of President
Adams's arrival at the White House scheduled for November 1.
The White House Historical Association has secured the participation of historian David
McCullough, an actor to portray John Adams, and a carriage and horses to transport "Adams"
up the south drive to the south front. Tentative arrival to be at noon, which could be adjusted
if the President's schedule required.
The carriage would enter at one of the south gates and travel up the south drive. Fife and
drum (preferably the U.S. Army's Old Guard Fife and Drum) would march on the south
lawn. Upon Adams's disembarking at the south front, the Marine Band would announce the
arrival of President Clinton as well as Adams with "Hail to the Chief." President Clinton and
Adams would ascend to the Blue Room balcony. From the balcony President Clinton would
welcome Adams in brief remarks; Adams would make a brief response; David McCullough
(joining the others on the Blue Room balcony) would then make remarks on the historical
aspects of the first president to occupy the White House.
The press would cover the event.
The audience would consist of those visitors on the public tour who are asked if they would
like to remain for the ceremony. We also discussed having some young students represented
(grades 4-6 probably about right) that would be invited. The Association could assist, if
needed, finding several classes and we would provide instructional materials for the students
prior to their arrival so they can better appreciate the historical significance of the anniversary
event. Staff/passholders were also discussed as invitees. Inclement weather plan would be to
hold the ceremony in the East Room. [Would the press still cover the carriage arrival and
initial greeting by President Clinton before they entered the White House?] If invited guests
prove to be too large a crowd for the East Room then the public tour visitors would simply
not be alerted to the program. [In case of bad weather, how soon could the East Room be
1
740 Jackson Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20503
202 737 8292 facsimile 202 789 0440 www.whitehousehistory.org
10/12/2000 23:15 FAX
03
cleared of public tour visitors - would we shift program to a bit later to accommodate this or
do we just divert the public tour?]
Other dignitaries to be invited might include Senators Kennedy and Kerry of Massachusetts
and leadership from the House (MA) and the Mayor of Washington, D.C. (this is also the
200th anniversary of the city's role as U.S. capital).
Refreshments for the audience would be provided on the south lawn prior to the arrival.
2
10/12/2000 23:15 FAX
04
HUNDREDIE 1800-2000 ANNIVERSAL
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Re-enactment of President John Adams's Arrival at the White House
November 1, 2000
Steven Perlman, portraying "President John Adams"
Historian, National Park Service - Bornoraisedin PA
Independence National Historical Park
313 Walnut Street
Masters Degree @ Temple
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Independence loyears
215-597-5102
williams
playing 3 4 at least ?
Carriage and four horses provided by:
Jim Hundley
Hundley Carriages, Inc.
8300 Hopkins Road
Richmond, VA 23237
804-743-9233
FAX 804-743-1599
740 Jackson Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20503
202 737 8292 focsimile 202 789 0440 www.whitehousehistory.org
TII
&
MEMORANDUM
August 27, 1993
TO:
Karen Finney, Deputy Press Secretary to the First Lady
COPIES:
Kim Tilley, Associate Director of Communications Research
Amy Nemko, Office of Communications Research
FROM:
Mark Bernkopf, Office of Communications Research
RE:
Press Coverage of White House Redecorating by First Ladies
Since Jacqueline Kennedy
There was some public criticism of Mrs. Kennedy's choice of French antique furniture (rather
than American) for the State Rooms, though Jefferson and Monroe also decorated the State
Rooms with French furniture. Mrs. Kennedy waged a skilled campaign for her White House
redecoration¹ and fine-arts efforts among powerful Senators and Congressman, potential donors
of paintings and furniture, and the press². She courted Life magazine, which devoted a full-
color spread to the White House "restoration."
The Nixons oversaw a further redecoration, which included the largest program of antiques
acquisition in the history of the White House. The intention of the redecoration was to render
the White House state rooms as they might have appeared before 1840. Whereas Mrs.
Kennedy's restoration of the State Rooms emphasized the display individual pieces of furniture,
the Nixon redecoration emphasized the ensemble. Like the Mrs. Kennedy, the Nixons also relied
on private financial contributions.
Clement Conger, a Republican and Rex Scouten's
predecessor as White House Curator, made some tactless criticisms of Mrs. Kennedy's
redecoration. This helped fuel press reports, not altogether accurate, that the Nixons were
reversing Mrs. Kennedy's work.
¹Mrs. Kennedy preferred the term "restoration" to "redecoration."
²Mrs. Kennedy sought extensive decorating and preservation advice from professionals.
It was Mrs. Kennedy who suggested the appointment of a White House Curator. She
believed that the White House should be treated as a prized national museum.
The Fords switched the focus of acquisition from furniture to paintings; this policy was continued
by the Carters. The Carters did not engage in any redecorating work.
Nancy Reagan's intentions for the redecoration of the White House were publicized shortly after
her husband's election. Her choice to decorate the Residence, Beverly Hills decorator Ted
Graber, received a fair amount of publicity during the interregnum. (Graber had redecorated the
American Embassy in London when multi-millionaire publisher Walter Annenberg was U.S.
Ambassador to the Court of St. James.) Mrs. Reagan received negative publicity for her hints
to the Carters that they should vacate the Executive Mansion before January 20 in order to give
time to the Reagans to redecorate their new home; fourteen years earlier, she had expressed
similar wishes to Governor and Mrs. Pat Brown of California.
Upon taking office on January 20, President Reagan ordered department and agency heads to
forego redecoration of their offices, but no such restriction applied to the First Family's residence.
The Reagans declined the $50,000 allotment for redecoration of personal quarters provided by
Congress in favor of fund-raising among friends and acquaintances. An initial fund-raising goal
of $200,000 was exceeded by 88 percent. In the end, if funds for new White House china are
counted in, the Reagans raised about one million dollars. Whereas redecoration of the living
quarters had been piecemeal since Truman's day, under the Reagans the living-quarters renovation
was comprehensive.
Press coverage of Nancy Reagan's redecorating program was largely negative. The Nation was
in recession, and Mrs. Reagan's lavish tastes in decorating, clothing and entertaining seemed
insensitive and inappropriate. The refusal by Mrs. Reagan's aides to allow the press any
photographs of the living-quarters redecoration did not help her public image. Nor did a
disclosure -- one month after President Reagan's decontrol of oil prices -- that contributors
associated with the oil industry contributed a total of $270,000, over a quarter of privately-raised
redecorating funds.
Mark Hampton, decorator to socialites Anne Bass and Nan Kemperer, 60 Minutes anchor Mike
Wallace, and cosmetics heiress Estée Lauder, was selected by the Bushes for redecorating work
at the White House. Since 1981, he had supervised redecorating at the Bushes' Kennebunkport
summer home and their Washington Vice Presidential residence. Press coverage during the Bush
years was much quieter. More attention was paid to exterior restoration work in preparation for
the 1992 White House bicentennial.
Kaki Hockersmith has received most of her publicity following the Vince Foster note. But
earlier in the year she was profiled by The Dallas Morning News, USA Today and The
Washington Post. The Chicago Tribune wrote that her practical style would be a change from
the glitzy excess of the 1980's.
The Clintons' change of curtains in the Oval Office also received substantial publicity. One
newspaper joked about "the courage to change" the curtains, a reference to the President's
campaign clarion call.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marsha Berry 456-2960
Neel Lattimore
Karen Finney
Steve Cohen
WHITE HOUSE CURATOR RETIRES AFTER 48 YEARS OF SERVICE
Monday, March 3, 1997
Washington, D.C. - Rex Scouten, the White House Curator, who has served ten Presidents, will
retire at the end of April. He first joined the White House as a Special Agent of the United
States Secret Service under President Harry Truman. He went on to serve as Deputy to the Chief
Usher, Assistant Regional Director for White House Liaison with the National Park Service,
Chief Usher and for the last 11 years Curator. As Curator, Mr. Scouten is responsible for the
White House collection of fine and decorative arts and the continuing research on the history
and furnishings of the Executive Residence.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton says, "Rex Scouten's tenure as Curator has been
marked by careful preservation and presentation of the art, architecture and history of America's
house. He has devoted his working life to serving our country and its Presidents since 1949. In
every capacity he has served, he has demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism and
patriotism. I'm sure I'm speaking for every First Family who has had the privilege to live in this
wonderful house in the last 48 years when I say Rex Scouten has made a unique and unparalleled
contribution to the nation. The President and I thank him on behalf of a grateful nation for his
many years of dedicated service and wish him and his family all the best in his well-deserved
retirement."
Mr. Scouten says he is most proud of the acquisitions to the permanent collection during
his tenure including the last war time situation map prepared for President Franklin Roosevelt
during WWII that he saw nine days before he died and which now hangs in the Map Room and
the first painting by an African American artist, Henry Ossawa Tanner's Sand Dunes at Sunset,
Atlantic City, which now hangs in the Green Room. Mr. Scouten says 80 percent of the
furnishings in the public rooms of the White House were acquired since he's been there. He said
the restoration of the White House is ongoing: "Mrs. Eisenhower and the First Ladies who have
succeeded her have replaced 80 percent of the Truman reproductions in the Public Rooms with
period furniture, and there are 355 paintings in the collection. All of this, including major
redecorating, has been accomplished with donated funds. Mrs. Clinton continues to improve the
House and to add to the collection---a painting of Dolly Madison by Gilbert Stuart and the first
by an African American, artist Henry Tanner, are among several she has added to the collection.
The Blue Room has been beautifully redecorated, and she will undoubtedly oversee the
refurnishing of the Red and Green Rooms before she leaves. I am certain those rooms will be
equally as successful as the Blue Room."
Mr. Scouten will be celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary this year and says he and
his wife would like to spend some time traveling. They are already planning a trip to Alaska.
He also plans to travel around the country lecturing to schools and groups about the White House
saying, "I have a lot of interest in the White Houses and have been blessed with the opportunity
to be there and I have an obligation to share my experience with others."
And he has many stories to tell. As a Secret Service agent he traveled to forty countries
with then Vice President Nixon. As Deputy to the Chief Usher, he was on duty when President
Eisenhower suffered his slight stroke. He was supervising the redecoration of the Oval Office
when word came that President Kennedy had been shot. He put the office back in order later that
evening and helped make arrangements for the state funeral and for the visiting world leaders. He
did not leave the White House for five days during that period. As Assistant Regional Director
for White House Liaison, he made significant contributions to Lady Bird Johnson's
beautification program and strengthened the National Park Service's role in historic preservation
at the White House. Scouten played a role in the numerous state visits during the nation's two
hundredth birthday under the Ford administration. When President Carter restricted his public
appearances because of the hostage crisis in Iran, Scouten helped bring the country to the White
House with an unprecedented 377 public events. And he was in the White House Solarium with
Mrs. Reagan when a Secret Service agent told her the President had been shot.
###