114. Making the Official White House Christmas Ornament (VIDEO)
The White House 1600 Sessions
For over forty years, the White House Historical Association has partnered with Beacon Design, a division of the ChemArt Company, to create the Official White House Christmas Ornament. The program was started in 1981 during the first term of the Reagan presidency when First Lady Nancy Reagan threw her support behind the idea. A new design has debuted annually with each ornament honoring a president’s time in the White House, an anniversary, or historical event. Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association visited ChemArt to get a first-hand look at how the...
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114. Making the Official White House Christmas Ornament
The White House 1600 Sessions
For over forty years, the White House Historical Association has partnered with Beacon Design, a division of the ChemArt Company, to create the Official White House Christmas Ornament. The program was started in 1981 during the first term of the Reagan presidency when First Lady Nancy Reagan threw her support behind the idea. A new design has debuted annually with each ornament honoring a president’s time in the White House, an anniversary, or historical event. Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association visited ChemArt to get a first-hand look at how the...
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113. White House History and the Waldorf Astoria New York (VIDEO)
The White House 1600 Sessions
There are few places outside of the White House that are as deeply connected to the American Presidency as the Waldorf Astoria New York. For almost a century, this luxury hotel has welcomed every U.S. President since Herbert Hoover through its elegant Art Deco doors on Park Avenue. After leaving office, President Hoover even lived in the Waldorf Astoria Residence for more than three decades before his passing at the age of 90. White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin was joined in the newly renovated Waldorf Astoria Residences New York by guests David Freeland, author of...
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113. White House History and the Waldorf Astoria New York
The White House 1600 Sessions
There are few places outside of the White House that are as deeply connected to the American Presidency as the Waldorf Astoria New York. For almost a century, this luxury hotel has welcomed every U.S. President since Herbert Hoover through its elegant Art Deco doors on Park Avenue. After leaving office, President Hoover even lived in the Waldorf Astoria Residence for more than three decades before his passing at the age of 90. White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin was joined in the newly renovated Waldorf Astoria Residences New York by guests David Freeland, author of...
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112. The White House Chief Usher
The White House 1600 Sessions
Gary J. Walters was an integral part of White House history during a 37 year career in which he served seven presidents and their families. Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House HIstorical Association, sat down with Gary to recount some of the moments he witnessed which are also captured in the new book White House Memories 1970 - 2017: Recollections of the Longest Serving Chief Usher. Gary started his tenure at the White House during the Nixon presidency as an Executive Protective Service officer. In 1976 he became an assistant usher under President Gerald Ford. When Gary was named...
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112. The White House Chief Usher (VIDEO)
The White House 1600 Sessions
Gary J. Walters was an integral part of White House history during a 37 year career in which he served seven presidents and their families. Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House HIstorical Association, sat down with Gary to recount some of the moments he witnessed which are also captured in the new book White House Memories 1970 - 2017: Recollections of the Longest Serving Chief Usher. Gary started his tenure at the White House during the Nixon presidency as an Executive Protective Service officer. In 1976 he became an assistant usher under President Gerald Ford. When Gary was named...
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111. Recreating the White House: Netflix and Shondaland’s The Residence (VIDEO)
The White House 1600 Sessions
U.S. Presidents and the White House have been depicted on film, television, and now on streaming platforms, for over a century. The White House facade and reproductions of the Oval Office are instantly recognizable and often help in the telling of a story. Sometimes, the White House even becomes a main character like in The Residence, a Netflix and Shondaland series released in 2025. The comedic murder mystery set in the White House during a fictional presidency features a unique look at the Executive Mansion and at the hardworking residence staff who operate behind the scenes. But when you...
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111. Recreating the White House: Netflix and Shondaland’s The Residence
The White House 1600 Sessions
U.S. Presidents and the White House have been depicted on film, television, and now on streaming platforms, for over a century. The White House facade and reproductions of the Oval Office are instantly recognizable and often help in the telling of a story. Sometimes, the White House even becomes a main character like in The Residence, a Netflix and Shondaland series released in 2025. The comedic murder mystery set in the White House during a fictional presidency features a unique look at the Executive Mansion and at the hardworking residence staff who operate behind the scenes. But when you...
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110. Presidential Pets
The White House 1600 Sessions
The White House has been home to a menagerie of pets, from working animals such as horses and sheep, to companions of the Scottish Terrier and Siamese cat varieties - with the odd raccoon, cow, or badger thrown in, as well. Like the almost 90 million American households who have a pet, many First Families have brought animals home even when the address was 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin meets Alan Price, director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and takes a tour of their new exhibit, Presidential Pets. Museum...
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110. Presidential Pets (VIDEO)
The White House 1600 Sessions
The White House has been home to a menagerie of pets, from working animals such as horses and sheep, to companions of the Scottish Terrier and Siamese cat varieties - with the odd raccoon, cow, or badger thrown in, as well. Like the almost 90 million American households who have a pet, many First Families have brought animals home even when the address was 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin meets Alan Price, director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and takes a tour of their new exhibit, Presidential Pets. Museum...
info_outlineIt 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. Congressman from Michigan. It was in this home that Susan and her three older brothers grew up, celebrating birthdays and Christmases, swimming in the backyard, and eating family dinners. It was also here that Susan answered the phone when President Richard Nixon called to offer her father the job of Vice President. Little did they know that this home would also essentially be the White House until the Nixon family vacated the other one after the president resigned. It was an emotional trip down memory lane for Susan who had not returned to the landmarked home in years. While it is a private residence, the current owners were kind enough to welcome Stewart and Susan for a very special episode in which Susan shares personal stories of her time in the White House and her role in carrying on her parents’ legacy.
The Association’s Official 2023 White House Christmas Ornament features decorations inspired by the handcrafted decorations used in the White House during the Ford administration. You can purchase an ornament at this link.