White House Chief Usher
Encyclopedia
White House Chief Usher is the title of the head of household staff and operations at the White House
, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States
.
The Chief Usher is, by description, charged with the responsibility "for the effective operation of the White House Complex
and Executive Residence
, site of Official and Ceremonial activities of the Presidency, and a museum of our American history ... [Chief Usher] develops and administers the budget for the operation, maintenance, and utilities and supervises the Executive Residence staff." In carrying out this charge, the Chief Usher must coordinate Executive Residence actions with a host of organizations including the Executive Office of the President, the National Park Service
, the Secret Service
, the General Services Administration
, the military, and other government entities. The Chief Usher serves at the pleasure of the president and coordinates both official and family life at the White House.
For operations involving official ceremonies, such as the State Arrival Ceremony
or State Dinner
at the White House, the Chief Usher coordinates activities with the White House Social Secretary
in the East Wing, and the Chief of Protocol of the United States
, an official within the United States Department of State
.
In coordinating the historic preservation of the White House, the Chief Usher works with the White House Office of the Curator
, the Committee for the Preservation of the White House
, and the White House Historical Association
.
The office for the Chief Usher is located on the State Floor, near to the Cross Hall and Entrance Hall
beside the entrance to the North Portico. An 1815 floor plan for the White House labels this room as the Ushers Lodge.
The longest serving White House Chief Usher was Irwin "Ike" H. Hoover, who served as Chief Usher for about 25 years of his 42 years in the White House. Gary J. Walters resigned as Chief Usher in January 2007 after serving in the position from 1986 when appointed by President Ronald Reagan. The current and ninth Chief Usher is Angella Reid, a former general manager of the Ritz-Carlton at Pentagon City, VA.
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
The Chief Usher is, by description, charged with the responsibility "for the effective operation of the White House Complex
White House Complex
The White House Complex is the designation of the three principal structures and the adjoining outdoor ceremonial areas, which, along with the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, serve as the seat of the executive branch of United States government...
and Executive Residence
Executive Residence
The Executive Residence is the central building of the White House Complex located between the East Wing and West Wing. This central building, first constructed 1792–1800, is home to the President of the United States and the First Family. The Executive Residence primarily occupies three floors:...
, site of Official and Ceremonial activities of the Presidency, and a museum of our American history ... [Chief Usher] develops and administers the budget for the operation, maintenance, and utilities and supervises the Executive Residence staff." In carrying out this charge, the Chief Usher must coordinate Executive Residence actions with a host of organizations including the Executive Office of the President, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
, the General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
, the military, and other government entities. The Chief Usher serves at the pleasure of the president and coordinates both official and family life at the White House.
For operations involving official ceremonies, such as the State Arrival Ceremony
State Arrival Ceremony
A state arrival ceremony is a ceremony that takes place on the South Lawn of the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States in Washington D.C., in which a foreign head of state or head of government is formally welcomed to the United States...
or State Dinner
State dinner
A state dinner is a dinner or banquet paid by a government and hosted by a head of state in his or her official residence in order to renew and celebrate diplomatic ties between the host country and the country of a foreign head of state or head of government who was issued an invitation. In many...
at the White House, the Chief Usher coordinates activities with the White House Social Secretary
White House Social Secretary
The White House Social Secretary is responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of official social events at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States.-Function:...
in the East Wing, and the Chief of Protocol of the United States
Chief of Protocol of the United States
The Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol...
, an official within the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
.
In coordinating the historic preservation of the White House, the Chief Usher works with the White House Office of the Curator
White House Office of the Curator
The White House Office of the Curator is charged with the conservation and study of the collection of fine art, furniture and decorative objects used to furnish both the public and private rooms of the White House as an official residence and as an accredited historic house museum.The office began...
, the Committee for the Preservation of the White House
Committee for the Preservation of the White House
The Committee for the Preservation of the White House is an advisory committee charged with the preservation of the White House, the official home and principal workplace of the President of the United States...
, and the White House Historical Association
White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 through efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is a private, non-profit organization with a mission to enhance the public's understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the White House, the official home and principal workplace of the...
.
The office for the Chief Usher is located on the State Floor, near to the Cross Hall and Entrance Hall
Entrance Hall
The Entrance Hall is the primary and formal entrance to the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. The room is rectilinear in shape and measures approximately 31 by 44 feet...
beside the entrance to the North Portico. An 1815 floor plan for the White House labels this room as the Ushers Lodge.
The longest serving White House Chief Usher was Irwin "Ike" H. Hoover, who served as Chief Usher for about 25 years of his 42 years in the White House. Gary J. Walters resigned as Chief Usher in January 2007 after serving in the position from 1986 when appointed by President Ronald Reagan. The current and ninth Chief Usher is Angella Reid, a former general manager of the Ritz-Carlton at Pentagon City, VA.
List of Chief Ushers
| No | Dates | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1885 - 1892 | Eldon S. Dinsmore | |
| 1 | 1901 - 1909 | Thomas E. Stone |
| 2 | 1909 - 1933 | Irwin "Ike" H. Hoover. |
| 3 | 1933 - 1938 | Raymond Muir |
| 4 | 1938 - 1957 | Howell G. Crim |
| 5 | 1957 - 1969 | James B. West J. B. West James Bernard West, known as J. B. was Chief Usher of the White House for 12 years, from 1957 to 1969. His best-selling book, Upstairs at the White House , documents his time in the executive mansion, starting in 1941 under Chief Usher Howell G. Crim... |
| 6 | 1970 - 1985 | Rex W. Scouten |
| 7 | 1986 - 2007 | Gary J. Walters |
| 8 | 2007 - 2011 | Stephen W. Rochon Stephen W. Rochon Rear Admiral Stephen W. Rochon is the former Director of the Executive Residence and White House Chief Usher. Admiral Rochon served his last day on active duty with the Coast Guard on March 9, 2007, and began his service at the White House on March 12. Admiral Rochon succeeds Gary J. Walters, who... |
| 9 | 2011 - | Angella Reid |
Further reading
- Garrett, Wendell. Our Changing White House. Northeastern University Press: 1995. ISBN 1-55553-222-5.
- Seale, William. The President's House. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 1986. ISBN 0-912308-28-1.
- West, J.B.J. B. WestJames Bernard West, known as J. B. was Chief Usher of the White House for 12 years, from 1957 to 1969. His best-selling book, Upstairs at the White House , documents his time in the executive mansion, starting in 1941 under Chief Usher Howell G. Crim...
with Mary Lynn Kotz. Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan: 1973. SBN 698-10546-X. - The White House: An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 2001. ISBN 0-912308-79-6.