Why is the Oval Office oval? - White House Historical Association
The 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.
What are the dimensions of the Oval Office? - White House …
Collection 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 …
What is the Resolute Desk? - White House Historical Association
The 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.
White House Tour - White House Historical Association
In 1909, President William Howard Taft had the West Wing enlarged, adding the first Oval Office. Herbert Hoover remodeled the wing and rebuilt it after a fire in 1929. With the expansion of the staff in the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt requested additional space, and the wing was renovated under the eye of architect Eric Gugler.
Has every president worked in the Oval Office?
Taft’s Oval Office was used by his successors until Franklin D. Roosevelt, who oversaw yet another renovation and expansion of the West Wing in 1934. As part of that renovation, Roosevelt moved the Oval Office to its current location in the southeast corner of the West Wing, overlooking the Rose Garden.
Oval Office During FDR Administration - White House Historical …
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
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 Office since the Hoover administration, were recovered in blue.
Treasures of the White House: "Resolute" Desk
President George W. Bush chose to continue using it in the Oval Office during his terms. A brass plaque affixed to the desk records the history of its creation: "H.M.S. 'Resolute', forming part of the expedition sent in search of Sir John Franklin in 1852, was abandoned in Latitude 74º 41' N. Longitude 101º 22' W. on 15th May 1854.
Anywhere Activities - White House Historical Association
These Activities pair with select Classroom Resource Packets to combine hands-on learning and White House history. You can design your own Oval Office, create your own White House China, discover lost relics of the White House, and more!
The West Wing: 1925-1949 - White House Historical Association
1934: President Franklin D. Roosevelt increased the office area of a now permanent office wing from 15,000 to 40,000 square feet. A "penthouse" story and an enlarged subterranean office area with a light well were built. The Oval Office was relocated to the West Wing’s southeast corner-its present location-to overlook the Wilson Rose Garden.