Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
26080475
label
Christmas
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
26080475
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Christmas
citationUrl
collections
Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration)
Margaret “Maggie” Williams' Subject Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
26080475
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
otherTitles
42-t-2194630-20130359S-Seg2-009-005-2015
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
c92c0228bf3731b1
ocrText
words
maderias to THE WASHINGTON
WHITE HOUSE
MEMORANDUM
Filtustmas
TO:
Mike McCurry
FROM:
Ann Stock
DATE:
November 28, 1995
RE:
Christmas at the White House - Per your Request
CC:
Maggie Williams
Neel Lattimore
Evelyn Lieberman
Prior to you briefing the press on Christmas, 1995 I thought you might like to have the
following information.
As you know, each year the First Lady chooses a theme for the White House Christmas
Holiday and invites special groups to create ornaments to hang on the various White
House Trees. The first year of the Clinton Administration, Mrs. Clinton chose the
theme "ANGELS" and the various trees were decorated by Craft Artists from around
the country in honor of the designation by Congress as 1993 being the "Year of the
American Craft". The following year's theme was "THE TWELVE DAYS OF
CHRISTMAS" and three different groups were chosen to create ornaments - Art and
Design Schools, Blue Ribbon Schools and National Society of Decorative Painters. All
50 states were represented by these groups.
The First Lady chose the theme for Christmas, 1995 to be 'TWAS THE NIGHT
BEFORE CHRISTMAS and all through the House. The First Lady's choice of this
theme is a personal one as this famous fable is one she and the President have read to
Chelsea every year since she was an infant. Also, this is the same book the President
has read each Christmas in the State Dining Room to local school children.
After the First Lady chose the theme in July, the Social Office Staff conceptualized and
formulated a plan for it's execution. Five volunteers from the Social Office put the plan
in effect and a total of 80 volunteers have been working since July to put the pieces in
place.
The following groups were invited to participate in the creation of ornaments for the
various White House Trees reflecting the theme:
*
AIA Architect and Architect Students -- 433 chapters were invited to invited to
make ornaments for the Blue Room Tree to reflect the architectural
aspects of the theme, i.e. rooftops, chimney, windows, porch
(608 individuals created ornaments)
*
American Needlepoint Guild and The Embroiders Guild of America --invited
to stitch traditional stockings to hang on the Blue Room Tree.
(204 members of the guilds participated)
*
Culinary Schools from around the country were invited to create ornaments
made out of edible materials for the 4 trees in the Grand Foyer.
They specifically patterned their ornaments out of the famous fable to
reflect
and visions of sugar plums danced in their heads. Ornaments
out of sugar, marzipan, chocolate, breads, etc. were made to reflect
dreams children may have the night before Christmas.
(Letters of invitation were sent to 558 schools and 540 individual
culinary artists participated.)
*
Blue Ribbon Schools, as designated by the Department of Education, were
invited to make ornaments for the West Wing Trees and for trees in the
Diplomatic Reception Room. (276 Blue Ribbon Elementary Schools were
invited to participate and 144 schools responded.)
Each of the above groups were sent a letter in August inviting them to participate in the
ornament project. They responded back to the Social Office with their confirmation
and sent their ornaments to the Social Office by October 31. Hundreds of phone calls
were exchanged with the artists by the volunteer staff. As the thousands of ornaments
rolled in, scores of volunteers unpacked, catalogued the ornaments and repacked for the
warehouse where they were held until the decoration process began. The work
continued as volunteers compiled information on each ornament and artist so that each
could be extended an invitation to a special tour. In addition, they prepared for the
thank-you Mrs. Clinton will send to each artist after the Holiday Season.
A multi-faceted program was established by a volunteer musical coordinator in the
Social Office. 2500 entertainers from across the United States were invited to perform
during White House tours and receptions during the entire month of December. The
entertainers range from elementary student groups to senior citizens and each has
generously donated their time and talents to perform for the First Family as well as for
the thousands of tourists who visit the White House.
As you can see, the entire execution of the 1995 White House Christmas has been done
largely by White House Volunteers and has fanned out around the country enveloping
thousands of generous artists who have donated large amounts of time so that all
Americans could enjoy a spectacular White House Christmas.
The 1995 White House Christmas Theme is:
"TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE
BLUE ROOM
Architects from the membership of the American Institute of Architects and architecture students from
around the United States were invited to create ornaments for the Blue Room Tree. We asked the
architects and architecture students to depict the verses of this enchanting tale in creative architectural
forms. It was our hope that White House visitors would be able to "walk from room to room of this
fabled house" as they view the Blue Room Tree. We are overwhelmed with fabulous ornaments
resembling rooms of this fabled home bedecked for the holidays. As a note, we sent letters of
invitations to 271 AIA Chapters and to 162 architecture schools around the country and from that
608 individual architects created ornaments.
The Blue Room Tree will also be decorated with traditional needlepoint stockings stitched by 204
members of the American Needlepoint Guild and the Embroiderers Guild of America. These
stockings depict the more traditional verses of "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
The Blue Room Tree is an 18 1/2' Fraser Fir from Atwood Dollar Hudler Tree Farms near West
Jefferson, in Ashe County, North Carolina. The tree is to be presented by Ronald Hudler and Daniel
Dollar who won the honor by being named the 1995 National Grand Champion Growers by the
National Christmas Tree Association.
GREEN AND RED ROOMS
The mantels in the Green Room and the Red Room will be decorated by 2 groups from the
Washington Architectural Forum. The Forum was established by the Washington Chapter of the
American Institute of Architects to encourage and foster public participation and involvement in the
built environment of the Washington metropolitan area.
The Green Room will be decorated by Community Design Services. This is a group of architects and
design professionals who volunteer their time to provide architecture services to non-profit community
organizations. Approximately 20 architects from the Community Design Services will be participating
in the design and preparation of a townscape for the mantel.
The Red Room Mantel will be decorated by the 6th graders of John Eaton Elementary School in
Washington, D.C. with the guidance of professional architects. They work together through a program
called Architecture in the Schools, a group of volunteer architects and college level architecture
students who go into the Washington, D.C. public schools to conduct architecture-based curriculums.
Together they will create architectural cityscapes for the mantels in the Red Room. The students will
incorporate architectural concepts they have learned such as streetscape, elevation, facade scale and
proportion into a three dimensional model using a variety of materials.
THE STATE DINING ROOM AND GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Mixed greenery, along with burgundy and gold ribbons, drape the mantel and decorate the scones to
create a festive mood. The showcase piece in the State Dining Room is always the traditional
gingerbread house created by the White House Pastry Chef. This year the house is a sentimental
favorite of the First Lady, as it is a replica of her girlhood home on Wisner Street in Park Ridge,
Illinois. The two front rooms are done as they would appear in "The Night Before Christmas:" the
bedroom is filled with children with children"all snug in their beds," and the living room is complete
with "stockings hung by the chimney with care." The gingerbread house took nearly five months to
create.
THE EAST ROOM
The traditional White House creche is the focal point. The creche was made in Naples, Italy in the
late 18th century and features 47 carved wood and terra cotta figures. The creche was a gift to the
White House from Mrs. Charles Engelhard, Jr. of Far Hills, NJ, and had been displayed each year
since it was presented in 1967.
Six lofty trees, ranging from 12-ft to 20-ft and ornament with burgundy and gold ribbons, are stationed
alongside the creche, at the center windows, and flanking the hallway entrance. Mixed greenery and
hurricane candles decorate the mantels of the four fireplaces and musical groups from across the
country fill the room with sounds of the holidays.
GRAND FOYER TREES
The 4 Grand Foyer Trees will have their own theme in fitting with 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE
CHRISTMAS
and visions of sugar plums danced in their heads. Culinary schools from around
the country were invited to create confectionery ornaments depicting the dreams that might fill a
child's head on the night before Christmas. These culinary delights are being portrayed in the form of
gingerbread, marzipan, sugar, cookie dough, salt dough, pastillage and chocolate. Both career and
professional culinary programs as well as nonvocational culinary programs are participating in this
project. Letters were sent to 558 schools and 540 individual culinary artists are participating.
Also in the Grand Foyer, you will sec the needlepoint "kissing ball" made by master needlepoint artist,
Hyla Hurley of Washington, D.C. It is a miniature version of the tapestry which hangs in the First
Family from the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock, via Monticello and a place called Hope.
DIPLOMATIC RECEPTION ROOM
The Diplomatic Reception Room will be decorated by the Department of Educations's Blue Ribbon
Schools. These schools are noted for their exceptional arts educational arts well as their effectiveness
in meeting the National Education Goals. Letters were sent to 276 Blue Ribbon elementary schools to
create ornaments depicting the theme and 144 schools are participating. (This same group of schools
decorated the trees in the East Wing Reception Room as well as in the Oval Office for the 1994 White
House Christmas.)
WEST WING
There will be a handmade MENORAH in the West Wing by Zachary Oxman from Hillsboro, VA - -
he has loaned us a new menorah created especially for the 1995 Holiday season - - he is one of the
craft artists who participate in the White House Collection of American Crafts.
The West Wing trees will also be decorated by the Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Schools.
PAST HOLIDAYS TREES
1993 Holiday Tree "Angel" Tree
Angel Tree will stand in the East Garden Room - - it has a sampling of the handmade angel ornaments
created by American craftspeople.
1994 Holiday Tree "The Twelve Days of Christmas" Tree
The Twelve Days of Christmas tree will stand in the East Foyer (Book Sellers) - - it has a sampling of
the ornaments submitted by art and design schools from across the country as well as the National
Society of Tole and Decorative Painters.