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{
    "localId": "1489734",
    "label": "Christmas, 1975 - White House Tours",
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    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1489734"
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{
    "id": "1489734",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1489734",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Christmas, 1975 - White House Tours",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1489734",
    "collections": [
        "Sheila R. Weidenfeld Files (Ford Administration)",
        "Sheila Weidenfeld's General Subject Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "President (1974-1977 : Ford). Office of the First Lady. 1974-1977",
        "Holidays"
    ],
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    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1489734",
    "naId": 1489734,
    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1975-12-31",
        "month": 12,
        "year": 1975
    },
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        "logicalDate": "1975-12-01",
        "month": 12,
        "year": 1975
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{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0126/644396/1489734.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 36, folder \"Christmas, 1975 - White House\nTours\" of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nSome items in this folder were not digitized because it contains copyrighted\nmaterials. Please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library for access to\nthese materials.\nDigitized from Box 36 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nFor immediate release\nWednesday, Dec. 17, 1975\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nOffice of the Press Secretary to Mrs. Ford\nThe President and Mrs. Ford will open the White House to the\npublic for two evenings of tours during the Christmas season.\nThe tours will be Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 from 6:30 -- 9 p.m.\nReservations are not required. Admission is free, and visitors\nshould come to the East Gate of the White House on East Executive\nAvenue to participate.\nThe tours will be by candlelight, with torches lighting the East\nEntrance and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. Lights in the\nresidence will be turned to candlelight intensity. There will be\nfires in the fireplaces. The string ensembles of the Armed\nServices will provide music. Each visitor will receive a momento\nexplaining how to make some of the handcrafted ornaments on\nthe White House Christmas tree.\nIn addition to the public tours, there will be some special tours for:\n-about 700 children and adults in schools or programs for the handicapped\nand mentally retarded in the Washington, D.C. area; Dec. 18, 1:30-3:30 p.m.\n- White House press corps and their families, Dec. 29 1-3 p.m.\n-Members of Congress and their families, Dec. 23 2-5 p.m.\n- -White House staff and families, Dec. 22-23 7-9 p.m.\nThe first special tour of the Christmas season was for about 1300\nsenior citizens. It was held Dec. 11 from 6-8 p.m.\n#\n#\n#\n#\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nDecember 13, 1975\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nFROM:\nSHEILA WEIDENFELD MY\nMIKE FARRELL\nSUBJECT:\nSpecial Holiday Tours\nFor your information the following holiday tours have been scheduled:\n1. Thursday, December 11, 1975, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.\nCandlelight Tour for the Elderly\nAt Mrs. Ford's request we extended an invitation to senior\ncitizens to visit the White House. The invitations were\nextended through several national organizations for senior\ncitizens. There were fires in the fireplaces, and the Army\nString Ensemble performed. Each visitor received one of\nthe holiday letters from Mrs. Ford containing the instructions\nfor the decorations.\n2. Thursday, December 18, 1975, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.\nMrs. Ford has asked that we schedule a holiday tour in\ncooperation with the President's Committee on Mental\nRetardation. The Committee will be working with various\nschools and organizations in the metropolitan Washington\narea in extending the invitations. Mrs. Ford sponsored a\n)\nsimilar tour last year. One of the Armed Service string\nensembles will perform, and each guest will receive the\nholiday letter.\n3. December 22 and December 23, 1975, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.\nCandlelight Tour for the White House Staff and their families.\n- 2 -\n4. Tuesday, December 23, 1975, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.\nAt the request of President and Mrs. Ford the White House\nwill be open for Members of Congress to drop by with their\nfamilies to view the Christmas decorations.\n5. December 29 and December 30, 1975, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.\nAt the request of the President and Mrs. Ford the White\nHouse will be open to the public for candlelight tours. There\nwill be fires in the fireplaces, and string ensembles of the\nArmed Services will perform. The lights in the Residence\nwill be turned to candlelight intensity, and torches will light\nthe East Entrance. Each visitor will receive a holiday letter\nas a momento. Reservations are not required, and admission\nis free. All those who wish to participate should come to the\nEast Gate on East Executive Avenue.\nSpecial Note: You might wish to do the Candlelight Tour for\nthe Public as a separate release to make sure that people are\naware this will be taking place.\n1\nWhite House\nItash Post. 12/19/75\nCandlelight Tours\nAssociated Press\nThe White House will be\nopen for candlelight evening a\ntours Dec. 29 and 30 as\nspecial Christmas season\nevent.\nhe free. with\nRB\nPHOTOS-TV:\nTHURSDAY VISIT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN (1731 BUNKER HILL\nBETTY FORD'S PRE-CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK INCLUDES A (2 P.M.)\nRD., NE) WHERE SHE WILL HELP DISTRIBUTE GIFTS AND PARTICIPATE IN\nWHITE WEEK INCLUDE A PRESS PREVIEW OF CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ON MONDAY;\nPARTY FOR THE CHILDREN. OTHER EVENTS ON THE WHITE HOUSE SCHEDULE A NEXT\nMEDIA FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WEDNESDAY NIGHT; AND A RECEPTION FOR A THE\nBALL HOUSE PARTY TUESDAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF FOREIGN DIPLOMATS; A\nUPI 12-12 03:01 PES\nON FRIDAY NIGHT. CONTACT: PATTI MATSON, 456-2164.\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nDecember 13, 1975\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nFROM:\nSHEILA WEIDENFELD my\nMIKE FARRELL\nSUBJECT:\nSpecial Holiday Tours\nFor your information the following holiday tours have been scheduled:\n1. Thursday, December 11, 1975, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.\nCandlelight Tour for the Elderly\nAt Mrs. Ford's request we extended an invitation to senior\ncitizens to visit the White House. The invitations were\nextended through several national organizations for senior\ncitizens. There were fires in the fireplaces, and the Army\nString Ensemble performed. Each visitor received one of\nthe holiday letters from Mrs. Ford containing the instructions\nfor the decorations.\n2. Thursday, December 18, 1975, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.\nMrs. Ford has asked that we schedule a holiday tour in\ncooperation with the President's Committee on Mental\nRetardation. The Committee will be working with various\nschools and organizations in the metropolitan Washington\narea in extending the invitations. Mrs. Ford sponsored a\ni\nsimilar tour last year. One of the Armed Service string\nensembles will perform, and each guest will receive the\nholiday letter.\n3. December 22 and December 23, 1975, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.\nCandlelight Tour for the White House Staff and their families.\n- 2 -\n4. Tuesday, December 23, 1975, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.\nAt the request of President and Mrs. Ford the White House\nwill be open for Members of Congress to drop by with their\nfamilies to view the Christmas decorations.\n5. December 29 and December 30, 1975, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.\nAt the request of the President and Mrs. Ford the White\nHouse will be open to the public for candlelight tours. There\nwill be fires in the fireplaces, and string ensembles of the\nArmed Services will perform. The lights in the Residence\nwill be turned to candlelight intensity, and torches will light\nthe East Entrance. Each visitor will receive a holiday letter\nas a momento. Reservations are not required, and admission\nis free. All those who wish to participate should come to the\nEast Gate on East Executive Avenue.\nSpecial Note: You might wish to do the Candlelight Tour for\nthe Public as a separate release to make sure that people are\naware this will be taking place.\nPress Tom - 2961\n1:00 - 3:00\n}\nyes\nNovember 21, 1975\nTo: AARFAC Christmas Files\nFrom: Ann B. Brown\nthe\nRe: Popcorn Strings\nSee attached xeroxes from 1972 and 1974. This year we had to decorate two trees,\nthe usual tree at AARFAC and a 19' Christmas tree for the White House. To do\nso requires triple the amount normally required. We also decided to use dried\nred peppers on the strings alternating with popcorn.\nWe were not able to get old popcorn from the Williamsburg Theatre as we\nhave in the past. Mr. Alexander, Mamager of the Cafeteria kindly took their\nmachine out of storage and popped the equivalent of four large garbage bags of\npopcorn for us. This was a donation to the Folk Art Collection.\nThe red peppers were supplied by Mr. Irvin Sprinkle of the Landscape Department.\nand some were also raided from Libby Hodges of the Flower Section. To obtain\nthe best peppers, Mr. Sprinkle should be notified of our need and the quanity\ndesired in September, the first part. Peppers need a long time to dry, and pepper\ncrops are very susceptible to climate change. This year apparently was a bad year\nfor growing peppers, and consequently, we had great difficulty in obtaining the\namount of peppers desired.\nWe contacted Mrs. Peters, Director of Volunteers of Eastern State (229-4200)\nwho arzanged to have the patients in occupational therapy. Mrs. Peters handles\nall the arrangmments from her end. AARFAC's responsibility is to provide popcorn\nthread, needles, and refreshments for the patients. We brought the popcorn to\nthe hospital on Nov. 1, and it was ready for us to pick up on Nov. 20, on the date\nwe stipulated. Mrs. Peters told us in advance when we could pick up the peppers,\nand all arrangements went through her office.\nWe provided 32 -40 embroidery crewel needles ( with large eyes) and 30\nwhite thread (125 yards a spool). We also provided cookies and coke and paper cups\nfor approximately 35 people ( the amount was suggested by Mrs. Peters. The strung\nand unstrung popcorn was stored in plastic garbage bags.\nThe people at Eastern State were very coopezative and helpful. There seemd to be\nno difficulty in having the patients string red peppers.\nA.B.B."
}