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112. The White House Chief Usher show art 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) show art 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) show art 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...

info_outline
111. Recreating the White House: Netflix and Shondaland’s The Residence show art 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 show art 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) show art 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...

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109. History Revealed: The Kennedy Gravesite show art 109. History Revealed: The Kennedy Gravesite

The White House 1600 Sessions

While people around the world mourned President John F. Kennedy after he was assassinated on November 22, 1963, there was a remarkable group of young men who had to perform an unimaginable mission: burying their Commander in Chief. In this episode of The White House 1600 Sessions, White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin speaks with James L. Felder, who was a U.S. Army Sergeant when he led the Honor Guard Ceremonial Unit that buried President Kennedy. Felder helped carry and protect the casket of President Kennedy from the moment his body returned from Texas, until the...

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109. History Revealed: The Kennedy Gravesite (VIDEO) show art 109. History Revealed: The Kennedy Gravesite (VIDEO)

The White House 1600 Sessions

While people around the world mourned President John F. Kennedy after he was assassinated on November 22, 1963, there was a remarkable group of young men who had to perform an unimaginable mission: burying their Commander in Chief. In this episode of The White House 1600 Sessions, White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin speaks with James L. Felder, who was a U.S. Army Sergeant when he led the Honor Guard Ceremonial Unit that buried President Kennedy. Felder helped carry and protect the casket of President Kennedy from the moment his body returned from Texas, until the...

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108. Road Trip to the Presidents Heads show art 108. Road Trip to the Presidents Heads

The White House 1600 Sessions

There are many fun, wonderful opportunities to learn about White House history all across the country. Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, takes a road trip to the outskirts of Williamsburg, Virginia, to see what has become a social media hotspot: the Presidents Heads. Situated within a recycling facility on private property is a collection of 42 massive, decaying statues featuring the likenesses of U.S. presidents from George Washington through George W. Bush. Each statue is made of concrete and steel, averaging 15 feet in height, and weighing approximately...

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108. Road Trip to the Presidents Heads (Video) show art 108. Road Trip to the Presidents Heads (Video)

The White House 1600 Sessions

There are many fun, wonderful opportunities to learn about White House history all across the country. Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, takes a road trip to the outskirts of Williamsburg, Virginia, to see what has become a social media hotspot: the Presidents Heads. Situated within a recycling facility on private property is a collection of 42 massive, decaying statues featuring the likenesses of U.S. presidents from George Washington through George W. Bush. Each statue is made of concrete and steel, averaging 15 feet in height, and weighing approximately...

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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 curators have gathered rarely seen items from their own collection, including dog biscuits kept in President Kennedy’s desk to feed the pups who visited him in the Oval Office. Other Presidential Libraries and Museums have loaned dozens of items to help tell the story of the creatures who have inhabited the White House. In this episode you’ll see a Navy coat made for Fala, the beloved Scottie of President Franklin D. Roosevelt; a doghouse in the shape of the White House made for Rex, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel cherished by the Reagans; a saddle and riding crop used by President Theodore Roosevelt; and a rare look at a passport made for Pushinka, the dog gifted by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to the Kennedy family.

The exhibit runs through April 26, 2026 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.A copy of the White House History Quarterly  “Animals at Work in White House History” edition can be purchased at this link.