Why is the Oval Office oval? - White House Historical Association
WEBThe Oval Office has been the main office for the president since President William Howard Taft began working in it in October 1909. After his inauguration, President Taft held a competition to select an architect to enlarge and make permanent the West Wing's "temporary" Executive office built during Theodore Roosevelt's administration.
Has every president worked in the Oval Office?
WEBNo! The Oval Office has been the primary presidential workspace since 1909, when President William Howard Taft worked in the first iteration of the Oval Office. Prior to the expansion of the West Wing, presidents worked elsewhere in the White House. For example, Thomas Jefferson worked in an office in the southwest corner of the State Floor ...
What is the Resolute Desk? - White House Historical Association
WEBThe desk was first used in the Oval Office during the presidency of John F. Kennedy. When President Lyndon B. Johnson selected another desk for the Oval Office, the Resolute Desk became part of a traveling exhibition and then went on to the Smithsonian, where it was displayed from 1966 to 1977.
What are the dimensions of the Oval Office? - White House …
WEBCollection Preservation of the White House. In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the White House Historical Association to enhance the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Executive Mansion.
Treasures of the White House: "Resolute" Desk
WEBIt was first used in the Oval Office in 1961 at the request of President John F. Kennedy. After President Lyndon B. Johnson selected another desk for his office, it was lent to a Kennedy Library traveling exhibition, 1964-1965, and then to the Smithsonian Institution for exhibition, 1966-1977.
President Roosevelt in the Oval Office - White House Historical …
WEBIn this black and white photograph, President Franklin D. Roosevelt is seated at the Hoover desk in the Oval Office. President Roosevelt oversaw the expansion of the West Wing, which included moving the Oval Office to its present location on the southeast corner of the building. As President Roosevelt regularly used a wheelchair, the ...
The Kennedy White House 1961-1963
WEBAt age 43, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the youngest person ever elected to the presidency. Before his vibrant presidency was cut short by an assassin's bullets on November 22, 1963, he had reinvigorated the American spirit. His optimism and belief in America's responsibilities to the world live on as part of his legacy. Next America’s Irish ...
Oval Office During FDR Administration - White House Historical …
WEBCreated c. 1940. The Oval Office during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. After Roosevelt expanded the West Wing, the Oval Office overlooked the Rose Garden and contained a porch. In this photograph the president's desk has been moved away from the window, possible a security measure during World War II.
Oval Office During George H. W. Bush Administration
WEBCreator: Erik Kvalsvik, April 1991. The George H. W. Bush Oval Office, decorated in blue, gold, and ivory. The oval carpet was blue with a gold and ivory Presidential Seal in the middle. The draperies were steel blue. Two new cream-colored sofas were added, and the armchairs on either side of the president's desk, which had been in the Oval ...
The Christmas Eve West Wing Fire of 1929 - White House …
WEBFeb 9, 2016 — President Herbert Hoover looks at debris from the White House fire heaped on the grounds of the executive offices, January 15, 1930. This was originally published on February 9, 2016. On Christmas Eve 1929 the White House experienced its most powerful fire since the British torched the Executive Mansion 115 years earlier.