Margaret Truman by The President's House: 1800 to the Present : The Secrets, History of the World's Most Famous Home

you destroy yourself.”
    After that, the Nixon family went downstairs to the Diplomatic Reception Room, where the new president, Gerald Ford, and his wife, Betty, were waiting. The Fords accompanied them past a military guard of honor to an army helicopter. At the steps of the helicopter, the ex-president shook hands with Ford and ascended the steep ladder. At the top he turned and, to everyone’s amazement, managed to summon a smile. The door closed and the helicopter thundered into the blue sky.
    VIII
    Almost every part of the White House and its grounds are permeated with memories of important moments in American history. I can never look at the North Lawn without remembering August 14, 1945—the day the Japanese surrendered and World War II finally ended. Dad announced the glorious news and then he and my mother went out on the lawn to wave to a huge cheering crowd.
    Everyone who has ever lived or worked in the White House has similar associations and memories. We have all had the privilege, and sometimes the pain, of being eyewitnesses to history. In truth, the house itself is history, which is why I and millions of other Americans pray that it will always be protected at all costs.
    Questions for Discussion
    Why did the British burning of the White House turn out to be good for the United States?
    Of the many historic events that have taken place in the White House which do you consider the most important?
    What kind of decisions do presidents find most difficult to make?

The State Dining Room in 1873. Back then, dinners lasted four to five hours
and had at least six courses. A new wine with each course helped to ease the
strain.
Credit: Library of Congress
    5
    Working the House
    THE WHITE HOUSE is not only a shrine, a symbol, and a piece of living American history, it is also a political tool. In every administration, White House social events—coffees, luncheons, teas, receptions, dinners—have given the president an opportunity to strengthen his relationships with foreign leaders, members of Congress, the party faithful, and just about anyone else who can help him accomplish his programs and goals.
    Even crusty, standoffish John Adams saw this potential when he moved into the White House in 1800. Adams held his first formal reception on November 11, 1800, ten days after he arrived in Washington. A week or so later, he and Abigail continued the custom, established in Philadelphia, of inviting Congress to call on them. On January 1, 1801, the Adamses entertained the public at a New Year’s Day reception and started a tradition that was to last for over a hundred years.
    II
    Two days before Christmas in 1963, less than a month after Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson moved into the White House after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the day the official mourning for President Kennedy ended, Lyndon said to a startled Lady Bird, “Let’s have Congress over tonight.”
    The White House butlers hastily whipped up gallons of punch, and the kitchen staff set to work making enough tea sandwiches to serve to some five hundred congressmen and their spouses, plus presidential staffers and cabinet members— well over a thousand people in all.
    It was the biggest short-notice party the White House had ever seen and it was a spectacular success. After the gloom following the Kennedy assassination, everyone was ready for something upbeat. More to the point, LBJ schmoozed with key congressmen and convinced them that he would continue the policies of his predecessor.
    III
    One of the most amazing things about a White House event is the sheer perfection of it all. Then again, why shouldn’t it be perfect?
    The White House has a staff of almost a hundred people, including floral designers, chefs, butlers, and social secretaries. There’s a chief of protocol to advise on seating; the U.S. Marine Band to supply music; a bevy of military aides, resplendent in their dress uniforms,