The White House 1600 Sessions

First Lady Barbara Bush is being honored by the United States Postal Service with a Forever Stamp in what would be the centennial year of her birth. Born in New York on June 8th, 1925, Barbara Pierce would go on to marry George Herbert Walker Bush and become an iconic, unelected public servant in her own right. Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, talks about the...

Come set sail and join us for a special tour of Honey Fitz, a presidential yacht. For almost a century, from 1880 to 1977, every president had access to a yacht. They were used as tools of diplomacy and hospitality, and quite often, as a means of escape and relaxation. Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, traveled to Jupiter, Florida to see one of these yachts whi...

On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and First Lady Mary Lincoln departed the White House and arrived at Ford's Theatre to see a production of Our American Cousin. After four long, tumultuous years, the end of the Civil War was in sight. President Lincoln was known for his love of attending live theater, and even though he arrived late that evening, the production came to a halt when the o...

There's an old saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words." By that count, artist Peter Waddell is a masterful storyteller. Beginning in 2004, the White House Historical Association commissioned the artist to create well-researched paintings to represent different periods from White House history that were not drawn, painted, or photographed definitively in their own times. The result is a colle...

The State Funeral has come to be known as the traditional and ceremonial way to mourn a President of the United States. While throughout the nation's history not every Commander in Chief has opted for such a tribute, in the modern era, it has become common practice. In fact, discussions about a president's preferences as to how they will be honored after their death take place almost as soon as th...

Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, sets the stage for what traditionally takes place on Inauguration Day, and previews the next season of The White House 1600 Sessions.

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy founded the White House Historical Association over 60 years ago, famously saying "The White House belongs to the American people." The Association's mission has been clear since day one: preserving, protecting, and providing public access to White House History. That mission continues through The People's House: A White House Experience at 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue -...

The White House showcases the very best of American culinary arts, whether it's providing the president some much needed nourishment after a long day or using a meal as a diplomatic tool between two nations. White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford spent almost 30 years working in the White House kitchens before retiring in July 2024. Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical...

Given how things started almost 250 years ago between the United States and King George III, the history of diplomacy and friendship between the White House and Queen Elizabeth II is quite remarkable. Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, talked about this history with David Charter, the assistant editor (US) of The Times and author of Royal Audience: 70 years, 13...

In his latest book "The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency," David Rubenstein, renowned financier, philanthropist, and host of PBS's History with David Rubenstein, takes a fresh look at what it means to hold the office of President of the United States. It is a role that has been shaped and defined by only 45 individuals, and one that contains a great deal of history while a...

From podium plaques and flags to the doors of the presidential limo and Air Force One, it is always present: fifty stars encircling an eagle whose talons hold bundles of olive branches and arrows, and around that circle of stars, a band with the words "Seal of the President of the United States." If you've ever wondered where that design came from and how those symbols are made, join Stewart McLau...

Blair House, known as the president's guest house, is located mere steps from the White House. 2024 marks the bicentennial of the building of Blair House, which for 200 years has been a quiet but integral part of our nation's history. Today, Blair House is actually a complex made up of four townhouses. Originally built in 1824 for Doctor Joseph Lovell, the first Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, t...

President of the United States and Commander in Chief are titles that only 45 unique men over 46 presidencies have carried since the office was established in 1789. It is a role that is continually being shaped and reshaped through each decade, presidency, personality, and each of the character traits that have defined these men. Author, historian, and attorney, Talmage Boston, set out to see what...

Theodore Roosevelt is often thought of as the Rough Rider and the man known for quoting the proverb "Speak softly and carry a big stick…." Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, met with Edward O'Keefe, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation and author of the new book called The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President to...

Washington National Cathedral sits atop the highest point in Washington, D.C. and is the sixth largest cathedral in the world. This splendid example of Gothic architecture is not only the home to an Episcopal congregation but a house of prayer for all people from around the United States and the world. When President George Washington commissioned Major Pierre L'Enfant in 1791 to create a plan for...

Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, sits down with White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin to discuss the depth of America's Irish roots. The history between Ireland and the United States goes back to the founding of America and the Revolutionary War. Irish immigrants and their descendants helped build this country, including the Irish-born Jame...

Jonathan Alter, journalist and author of "His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life," talks with Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, about the remarkable journey of President Jimmy Carter from peanut farmer to Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Filmed at the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., the church home of the Carters while they lived in the White Hou...

From the hearty Madeira to the fine Château Margaux, wine has a long and important history for presidents' palates and life in the White House. Even during times of Temperance and Prohibition, as well as the temporary hold on social events during Covid, the serving of wine and its use as a tool of protocol and persuasion managed to persevere. Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historic...

Just steps away from the White House stands the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, also known as the EEOB, and formerly known as the Old Executive Office Building.  The EEOB has been called a masterpiece of French Second Empire style yet has had its share of critics as it looks much different than most government buildings in the nation's capital. The granite, slate and cast-iron exte...

On November 22, 1963, the world changed forever when President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning in Dallas, Texas. The youngest man to have been elected president was now the youngest to die in office. That was sixty years ago, and for those who were alive at the time, it is a day they will never forget.  In this anniversary episode, White House Historical Association pres...

It was a homecoming decades in the making. Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, had the unique opportunity to bring Susan Ford Bales, daughter of President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford, back to the only place she called home before living in the White House. The Fords moved into the Alexandria, Virginia home in the 1950's while he served as a U.S. Cong...

Since the founding of America, spouses and relatives have served as White House hostess, public servant, and unofficial presidential adviser. Their role has come to be known as first lady but the accomplishments of many have gone unrecognized - until now. Anita McBride was an assistant to President George W. Bush and Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush, and is the current director of American...

Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, welcomed respected author and historian Richard Norton Smith to a special town hall gathering to discuss his latest book " An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford ." Ford was born in Nebraska and raised in Michigan, surviving a tumultuous start in life while being raised by a strong, singl...

Philanthropist, stylemaker, and renowned gardener Rachel Lambert "Bunny" Mellon was not formally trained as a horticulturist or landscape designer. However, her natural curiosity, exquisite taste, and disciplined practice, made her much sought after by anyone who wanted a gorgeous garden much like the ones she created on her estates - including President John F. Kennedy. Stewart McLaurin, Presiden...

Richard Haass has been the President of the Council on Foreign Relations for almost twenty years. In that role as part of an independent, nonpartisan organization much like the White House Historical Association, he has traveled at home and abroad to help people around the world better understand foreign policy choices and their impact. As he moves on from that role, he continues to educate with h...