When the White House launched a website to encourage citizen participation in government, it is doubtful that many thought to protect against undue influence by the dark side of The Force. Nevertheless, […]
White House Blows Up Death Star Initiative
That Day Elvis Showed Up at the White House
Not just anyone can walk up to the gates of the White House, ask to see the President and be taken seriously. Of course, the man who did that on December 21, […]
The Curious Case of the Disastrous Date With the First Daughter
First dates are always awkward. “Will I make a good impression?” “Will I like him/her?” “How do I escape gracefully if the magic isn’t there?” These are questions everyone asks, no matter […]
The Ultimate Rental House Fixer-Upper
As President Harry Truman’s daughter, Margaret, played the piano one day, she was startled as one leg of the piano suddenly dropped through the floor of the White House residential level. Engineers […]
Royal Bill Referral
President Calvin Coolidge was forced to move out of the White House in 1927 for six months so extensive remodeling and repairs could take place. In the course of the repairs, the […]
Being President Doesn’t Make You Master of the House
If there was ever a man who was unchanged by the power of the Presidency, it was Gerald Ford. Thrust unexpectedly into the Oval Office upon the resignation of Richard Nixon, Ford […]
The Day President Lincoln Became a Firefighter
The job of President of the United States can often be described as one of constantly putting out fires. Of course, we expect that to be a figurative description. For one President, […]
Easy Phone Number to Remember
1877 brought a new President to the White House and a new presidential perk: the Executive Mansion’s first telephone. President Rutherford B. Hayes had the phone installed in the White House telegraph […]
Welcome to the White House. Don’t Drink the Water
Three Presidents who died in the years between 1840 and 1850 have inspired the well-known tales regarding the cause of their deaths. We all know that William Henry Harrison’s one-hour-and-forty-five-minute inaugural address, […]
Bare Diplomacy
Prime Minister Winston Churchill was staying at the White House as a guest of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They had been discussing their vision for a new-and-improved League of Nations that […]
So Much for the Era of Good Feelings
The eight years of the administration of President James Monroe (1817-1825) are known as “The Era of Good Feelings.” Not everyone got the memo, however. Hard feelings existed between President Monroe and […]
When POTUS Cleans Up After His Pooch
President Gerald Ford was known for being just a regular guy, unchanged by the power of the Presidency. This was never better demonstrated than on the occasion when his Golden Retriever, Liberty, […]
Ancient Breed — Noble Character
The greyhound is among the oldest breeds of dogs, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood. Consider the following facts about this ancient and noble breed: The greyhound is the second-fastest […]
Presidential Pilfering
The young man tried to be quiet as he rifled through the contents of the dresser drawer. Driven to desperation to be able to pay his hotel bill and to have money […]
Be Careful What You Wish For
In 1887 James Roosevelt was in Washington, DC and arranged to take his 5 year-old son, Franklin, to the White House to meet President Grover Cleveland. Cleveland must have been having a […]
