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Snowball fights with cotton balls. Nutcracker Suite-themed rooms. Custom Hallmark-designed cards. You won’t be surprised to hear that U. S. Presidents have celebrated Christmas in elaborate ways. Here are some examples.

Official Duties

Christmas officially kicked off in 1870 when President Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation making Christmas a legal holiday.

Calvin Coolidge might hold the title of Presidential Father of Christmas.  He started the tradition of having a national Christmas tree in 1923 with a display of a tree from his home state of Vermont. Calvin and First Lady Grace Coolidge pressed the button to light the tree on the Ellipse across from the White House.

Coolidge also named a giant sequoia in California as ‘the nation’s Christmas tree’.  Appropriately the tree is named after President Ulysses S. Grant.

Coolidge was also the first president to give a Christmas Greeting to all Americans, having a letter of greeting published in most newspapers on Christmas Day, 1927.

Since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950’s, the First Lady has supervised the decoration of the White House.  Mamie Eisenhower had 26 trees put up in the White House. Laura Bush had 49 trees put up, and in 2018 Melania Trump put up 81 trees and topiaries.

Historically, the official White House Christmas tree is set up in the Blue Room. William H. Taft and First Lady Helen began the tradition in 1912.  In 1961, First Lady Jackie Kennedy took the Blue Room tree to a new level by creating a theme for the decorations. Her first one was based on the Nutcracker Suite ballet. Most subsequent Blue Room trees have also been themed.

The concept of Christmas cards is a 19^th century invention that didn’t catch on with the presidents until much later.  In 1953, Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower decided to make the sending of cards a more personal activity.  Dwight Eisenhower was an amateur artist who decided to paint an image of Abraham Lincoln for his 1953 Christmas card, enlisting Joyce C. Hall, CEO of Hallmark, to design and print 1,100 cards.  In 1954, he did one with George Washington as his subject.  As a sure sign of holiday growth, Ronald Reagan sent 125,000 cards in 1988.

Another White House Christmas tradition started in 1969 during the presidency of Richard Nixon.  His First Lady, Patricia, worked with the assistant White House Chef, Hans Raffert, to create the first gingerbread house.  Every subsequent year has seen a White House Christmas gingerbread house, most of them more elaborate than before. The Clinton’s chef spent 150 hours creating the gingerbread house one year in the 1990’s.

Family Time

Once the official duties end, each president goes their own way to enjoy the holidays. Most engage in family get-togethers and religious observances, sometimes wrapped around a vacation.

Some presidents prefer to travel home to gather their families and relax in a familiar setting.  Lyndon B. Johnson went to his Texas ranch. Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan flew home to California.  Jimmy Carter returned to Plains.

Other presidents like to use Camp David (named for Eisenhower’s grandson), a quick 30- minute helicopter ride from the White House.  Presidents George H.W. Bush and son George W. Bush spent 12 Christmases at Camp David.

Those who preferred a vacation-style holiday include Barack Obama, who went to Hawaii, his birth state. Gerald Ford went to Vail, Colorado for skiing vacations.

Franklin D. Roosevelt had a personal touch for his family each Christmas, reading Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol to his gathered family.

What would the holidays be without the food? Presidents of course have their favorite dishes, including Benjamin Harrison’s love of fig pudding, Abraham Lincoln’s love of gingerbread, and Dwight Eisenhower’s favored ‘million dollar fudge’.

Which president hosted a children’s Christmas party with the snowball fight with cotton balls? None other than Andrew Jackson in 1835.

Presidential Christmases have evolved from quiet personal celebrations to robust national events where every ornament, greeting card and event are examined in detail for appropriateness and political impact.

Interested in learning more about the presidents? Visit the Carolyn & James Millar Presidential Gallery on the upper level of the Booth Western Art Museum. The gallery features original letters and photographs of every U.S. president. Learn more at www.boothmuseum.org.

On a recent trip to Canada, I had the opportunity to visit Campobello, Franklin Roosevelt’s family “cottage” on an island just outside the US.  It was here that FDR contracted polio in 1921 at age 39.  I saw the room where he sat paralyzed for six weeks while multiple doctors tried to determine his condition and ultimately inform him of his prognosis.

Franklin Roosevelt was forever changed, causing him to re-evaluate every aspect of his life.  Part of his plan involved the purchase of a spa at Warm Springs Georgia in an attempt to overcome the paralysis. That he later became Governor of New York, and four term President of the United States is well known, and a testament to his resilience.

Peering into that room and trying to imagine his physical and emotional struggles, started me thinking about other presidents who overcame significant life challenges and setbacks to rise to the peak of power.

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) lost all three of his children before he took the oath of office. One died in infancy, one from typhus, and the third in a train accident just days before his inauguration. His resilience was tempered by his noted alcoholism, ultimately taking his life due to cirrhosis of the liver just a few years after his term ended.

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865), perennially voted our best president by historians, had many failures and losses in his life.  He lost jobs, nominations, and multiple elections in his career. He lost children, one in infancy, and one, Willie, in 1862 while in office. He also suffered periodic bouts of severe depression from time to time over much of his life. His ability to rise above these many blows and succeed in holding the Union together may be the ultimate in presidential resilience.

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) served in remote army posts after his graduation from West Point. Influenced by his peers plus complete boredom and loneliness, he relied on alcohol to get by.   During his epic military campaigns in the Civil War, Grant was fastidious in avoiding alcohol. Later, as president, he would only drink short toasts.  Historians disagree whether he was truly an alcoholic or not, but his determined and mindful approach after 1861 is admirable.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) had severe asthma as a child leaving him weak and sickly.  His father took him on carriage rides in New York City at night to get some cool air into his lungs. Theodore worked hard to develop his body, adopting the strenuous life as his lifetime approach.

Theodore suffered the loss of his wife Alice in childbirth, and also lost his mother the same day. He gave the baby to his sister to raise while he moved west to the Dakotas to become a rancher and try to ease his mind from these losses.

Later, his aggressive approach to life led Roosevelt to boxing for sport even during his White House years. Unfortunately, he took a punch in the eye and lost his vision in that eye as a result.    Roosevelt’s resilient approach to life created a vigorous presidency.

After his presidency, Roosevelt travelled the unexplored ‘River of Doubt’ in Brazil, where he nearly died from an infected leg wound suffered while freeing a canoe stuck on rocks during the trip. Later, the river was named after him, the Rio Roosevelt.

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) also was a sickly child. He contracted scarlett fever at age 3, had spinal surgery at age 30, and was diagnosed with Addison’s disease in 1947 while a Congressman from Massachusetts.  Today, his childhood maladies suggest he was intolerant of gluten, now known as celiac disease. Despite these illnesses, he showed courage, vigor, and possessed a ‘never give up’ attitude.

Gerald R. Ford Jr. (1974-1977) was born Leslie King in Omaha Nebraska. His mother moved him out of the house just 17 days later, due to his father’s abusive violence. Later, his mother re-married Gerald Ford Sr. and the future president took his name. This tough start in life didn’t hold him back, since he achieved the family stability he needed to thrive.

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) also had a difficult childhood. His father was an alcoholic and the family moved frequently around the Midwest in search of work.  Reagan sometimes needed to pick his father up off the ground after a late-night binge and drag him inside the house. Some have suggested that Reagan’s personality was directly affected by these experiences, making it difficult for him to maintain close relationships, as he was known for having few if any close friends.  He made up for it with his sunny, optimistic personality that helped him win over voters.

As I have mentioned before, presidents are all too human. Their experiences lend new meaning to the Paulo Coelho phrase “the secret of life is to fall 7 times and get up 8”, meaning to choose never to give up hope and always strive for more.

Interested in learning more about the presidents? Visit the Carolyn & James Millar Presidential Gallery on the upper level of the Booth Western Art Museum. The gallery features original letters and photographs of every U.S. president. Learn more at www.boothmuseum.org.

Can you imagine growing up in the White House in the modern era? Your father is president of the United States, the most powerful person on Earth. Your mother is First Lady. You have Secret Service protection everywhere you go. Cameras record your every public word and action.

We know some of these children by their first names: Barron, Malia, Jenna, Chelsea, Amy. Presidents’ children weren’t always so closely watched, of course.

Our presidents have had 198 children in total, either biological, adopted, illegitimate, guardians, or allegedly with slaves. Some of those children also rose to great power; some were heroes; some died at very early ages. Only two presidents had no children: James Polk and the bachelor James Buchanan.

John Tyler, 10th president from 1841-1845, holds the record, fathering 16 children. Eight were with first wife, Letitia, and seven with second wife, Julia. Tyler was also alleged to have had one child with a slave. One of his grandsons, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, is still living, owing to Tyler’s marriage to a youthful Julia and his reproductive capacity at age 70.

Thomas Jefferson fathered 14 children, six with his only wife Martha, who died in 1782 when Jefferson was 39. He also fathered eight other children, allegedly with his slave Sally Hemings. William Henry Harrison had 11 children, 10 with his wife Anna Symmes Harrison and one allegedly with a slave, born in 1809.

Why did these early presidents have so many kids? Infant and child mortality was a key factor. Back then, death from typhoid, scarlet fever, diphtheria or accidents was common. Twenty-six presidential children died before the age of 5.

For those who survived childhood, a few turned out quite well in terms of making a national impact.

Two became presidents themselves: John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, became president in 1825. George W. Bush, son of George H.W. Bush, was inaugurated in 2001. A grandson also became president when Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry Harrison, was elected in 1889.

There were cabinet secretaries: Robert Lincoln was Secretary of War under Garfield, and James Garfield Jr. was Secretary of the Interior under Theodore Roosevelt.

Theodore Roosevelt Jr., won the Medal of Honor for his bravery on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

There have been ambassadors (John Eisenhower to Belgium, Robert Lincoln to Great Britain, and Caroline Kennedy to Japan), a governor (Jeb Bush in Florida), and a big city mayor (Charlie Taft in Cincinnati).

Historic lore also tells us a presidential child was the namesake for a popular candy bar. Grover Cleveland’s daughter Ruth, born in 1891 between his two non-consecutive presidencies, was wildly popular, leading the chocolate maker Curtiss Candy to name their candy bar Baby Ruth. However, that didn’t happen until 1921 long after both Grover and Ruth had passed away, thus leading some to believe Curtiss did so to avoid entanglements with baseball player Babe Ruth. Yet, the presidential connection persists.

A few children of presidents have died while their fathers were in office or were president-elect. Such tragedies became national stories and deeply affected their families. Willie Lincoln died of typhoid fever at age 11 in 1862 at the White House, bringing grief to Abraham and Mary Lincoln as they also managed the Civil War.

At age 11, Benjamin Pierce died tragically in a train wreck riding from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. with his parents just a few days before Franklin Pierce’s inauguration. Franklin and Jane Pierce unfortunately were eyewitnesses to his gruesome demise. That event, plus losing their two other children earlier to disease, led Jane to become a recluse in the White House and Franklin to drink heavily.

It’s fair to say being a child of the president is a mixed blessing. While some have leaned into their legacy, most have remained relatively anonymous. That said, commencing in 2018 there is an annual meeting of the Society of Presidential Descendants where they can swap stories and share insights on their unique life experiences.

Interested in learning more about the presidents? Visit the Carolyn & James Millar Presidential Gallery on the upper level of the Booth Western Art Museum. The gallery features original letters and photographs of every U.S. president. Learn more at www.boothmuseum.org.

Whether telling a good joke, making a wry comment, or revealing a self-deprecating observation, Presidents can enhance their interactions with many of their constituencies with humor.

Some might say that a President’s ability to find humor in the maelstrom of daily life in one of the most taxing jobs in the world would be a great gift to possess.

Back in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the correspondence of the presidents was the most likely source of such humor.  In the most recent 125 years of our history, however, the media and related publicity organizations have been the vehicle to push presidential humor out much further than ever.  The advent of radio, television, and the internet has provided an up close and personal look at presidential humor.

Starting in 1924, the annual White House Correspondent’s Dinner became one of the predictable venues for presidents to entertain, particularly after 1983 when the format turned to a comedy roast of the president and their administrations. Nearly every president since Calvin Coolidge attended at least one of these dinners.

Let’s revisit some of the funny and wry quotes from our presidents.

Our first one-term president was John Adams (1797-1801). A known curmudgeon, he once said: “No man who ever held the office of president would congratulate a friend on obtaining it.”

Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) might have mellowed just a bit as he aged. The hero of the Battle of New Orleans in 1814 and many duels, he later observed: “There is no pleasure in having nothing to do. The fun is having lots to do and not doing it.”

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865), not the most handsome of men, once was accused in a debate of being two-faced. He said in reply: “Honestly, if were two-faced, would I be showing you this one?”

And another one from Mr. Lincoln: “Better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) was Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the McKinley administration. He took many steps to prepare for possible war, particularly pushing hard for action against Spain in the lead up to the Spanish-American War in 1898.  President McKinley, a Civil War veteran, was reluctant to jump into another war.  Roosevelt said of McKinley: “He has no more backbone than a chocolate éclair.”

Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) was a man of very few words. His reputation for avoiding extended conversations once led a lady seated next to him at a dinner party to say: “Mr. President, I bet my friend that I could get more than two words out of you tonight.”  Calvin’s reply: “You lose.”

Harry Truman (1945-1953) spent years in Washington as a Senator and Vice President before taking over due to the death of Franklin Roosevelt.  Truman was well apprised of the political potholes to be found around every issue in Washington. He once said: “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

A famous golfer, Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961) had a putting green installed at the White House. After turning over the office to John Kennedy, he was asked how his retirement affected his golf game.  He said, “A lot more people beat me now.”

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) conducted memorable televised press conferences that brought out his humorous side. Once when running for president in 1960, he said: “I just received the following telegram from my generous Daddy:  Dear Jack, don’t buy a single vote more than is necessary. I’ll be damned If I’m going to pay for a landslide!”

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969) grew up poor in rural Texas. Once elected to Congress, he revealed a consistent streak to desire public praise for his accomplishments. And as president his thin skin occasionally became evident in his comments.  “If one morning I walked on top of the water across to Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read: ‘President can’t swim’.”

While not a noted presidential humorist, Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) nonetheless had this wry observation once he departed Washington: “My esteem in this country has gone up substantially. It is very nice now when people wave at me, they use all their fingers.”

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) was a noted source of humorous stories and quips as president.  One of his best was: “I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of a national emergency, even if I’m in a cabinet meeting.”

After a time in office, Bill Clinton (1993-2001) observed that “being President is like running a cemetery. You’ve got people under you and nobody’s listening.”

Being President is serious business. No one wants a comedian in the White House. However, a bit of levity, wry humor, and self-deprecation can go a long way to humanize the president.

Interested in learning more about the presidents? Visit the Carolyn & James Millar Presidential Gallery on the upper level of the Booth Western Art Museum. The gallery features original letters and photographs of every U.S. president. Learn more at www.boothmuseum.org.

Imagine yourself in this setting:  you are the personal secretary to the president of the United States. It’s 5 pm and you get a call from a guest who must cancel that evening’s dinner. You then realize you must attend the dinner at seven that evening in their place.

Why?

Because your boss, Franklin Roosevelt, suffers from triskaidekaphobia, a fear of the number 13. So, you must attend, making the number at dinner 14.

For Franklin Roosevelt, the fear of the number 13 showed up in other ways too.  He would not travel on the 13^th day of the month.  If it looked like he must travel on that date, he would make sure the train departed at 11:50 pm on the 12^th.

Roosevelt had other superstitions too. He carried a rabbit’s foot lucky charm during the 1932 campaign. He thought it was bad luck to light 3 cigarettes with one match as well and would criticize anyone who did so in his presence.

Since FDR died on April 12, 1945, some say he was just determined to not pass away on the 13^th.

Ronald Reagan

You may be surprised to know that superstitions are not uncommon among the presidents.

The most superstitious president wasn’t FDR, but Ronald Reagan. He carried a lucky coin in his pocket. He tossed salt over his shoulder for good luck.

After the assassination attempt on his life by John Hinckley, Jr. in 1981, Reagan’s wife Nancy hired a San Francisco astrologer named Joan Quigley. Her job was to predict good dates and bad dates for the president’s schedule. She spent the last 7 years of Reagan’s presidency giving advice to Nancy, who would pass it along to the Chief of Staff.

“What does Joan say?” became a common question in the White House and the title of her book as well. Quigley wrote that she “was responsible for timing all press conferences, most speeches, the State of the Union addresses, the takeoffs and landings of Air Force One. I picked the time of Ronald Reagan’s debate with [President Jimmy] Carter and the two debates with Walter Mondale.”

William McKinley

William McKinley was also into the good luck charm superstition. When he was first elected to Congress in 1876 he regularly wore a red carnation in his lapel. He decided to keep wearing the flower for the rest of his career.  On occasion, if he had to say no to someone’s request, he would give them the carnation from his lapel as a token of ongoing friendship despite his decision.

In 1901, at the beginning of his second term, McKinley attended the Pam American Exposition in Buffalo New York.  He was wearing his lucky red carnation when he decided to give it to a young girl named Myrtle in the reception line. Moments later his luck ran out and he was gunned down by his assassin, Leon Czolgosz.

Other Presidential Superstitions

Harry Truman wanted good luck too, so he hung a pair of horseshoes over the entry to the Oval Office.

Barack Obama had a favorite superstition during his campaigns. He like to play basketball and shooting hoops was a form of relaxation.  In 2008, he realized that he won primary elections in Iowa and South Carolina when he shot hoops and lost elections in New Hampshire and Nevada when he didn’t. So, shooting hoops on election day became something he must do to win.

Woodrow Wilson also had a thing about the number thirteen. But unlike Franklin Roosevelt, he thought it was his lucky number.  He was inaugurated in 1913. He was named president of Princeton University in his 13^th year of tenure. There are 13 letters in the name Woodrow Wilson.

Research from the Gallup organization shows that 35% of Americans over age 30 refer to themselves as superstitious, so it’s not a surprise that a portion of our presidents have their own superstitions. After all, they’re human and subject to all the typical behaviors out there.

Hmmm….speaking of superstitions,  wasn’t Bill Clinton’s cat “Socks” mostly black?

Interested in learning more about the presidents? Visit the Carolyn & James Millar Presidential Gallery on the upper level of the Booth Western Art Museum. The gallery features original letters and photographs of every U.S. president. Learn more at www.boothmuseum.org.