The White House 1600 Sessions

Latest Episodes:

76. Jacqueline Kennedy: Restoring the White House Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

When First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy took on the herculean task of restoring the interior of the White House, she appointed renowned collector Henry Francis du Pont of Delaware to lead the project. Winterthur, du Pont's home which he turned into the first Museum of American Decorative Arts in 1951, served as inspiration for the renovation. White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin visited Winterthur and spoke with Elaine Rice Bachmann, curator of an exhibition based on the mentoring relationship between the reserved octogenarian and Mrs. Kennedy. "Jacqueline Kennedy and H. F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House" uses artifacts and images to go behind-the-scenes of this collaboration which culminated in the First Lady giving a televised tour of the renovated White House in 1962. The exhibition will be on view at the 175-room museum of American antiques and interiors outside Wilmington, DE, through January 8, 2023.

Find all our podcasts at: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/160...

Learn more about the White House Historical Association at: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/

75. David Rubenstein on Patriotic Philanthropy Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

David Rubenstein is co-founder and co-chair of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm based in Washington, DC. He is the host of several interview programs and podcasts, as well as a best-selling author. Rubenstein's latest book is called "How to Invest: Masters on the Craft." Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Association, sat down with Rubenstein to talk about what may be his most lasting legacy: Patriotic Philanthropy. Rubenstein has given millions of dollars to help restore American treasures including the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Mount Vernon; and preserve important documents including the Magna Carta, the 13th Amendment, and the Emancipation Proclamation. He has also generously supported the Association's mission of research and education. Having gotten his start as a domestic policy adviser under President Jimmy Carter, Rubenstein felt it was important to give back to the country who had given him so much and reminds us all that America was founded on volunteerism.

Find all our podcasts at: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/160...

Learn more about the White House Historical Association at: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/

74. Jon Meacham on Lincoln and the American Struggle Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin hosted a town hall featuring Jon Meacham at St. John's Episcopal Church. Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and historian, discussed his latest book And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle. It is at St. John's where President Lincoln would sometimes attend services during the Civil War, quietly slipping into the last pew so as to go unnoticed. In the book and this discussion, Meacham reveals lessons that 21st century leaders and citizens can learn from Lincoln as he faced challenging times.

Find all our podcasts at: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/160...

Learn more about the White House Historical Association at: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/

#whitehouse #whitehousehistory #whha #Lincoln

73. White House: Next-Gen Designers Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Following in the footsteps of the original White House designer and builder, James Hoban, in this episode of the White House 1600 Sessions we hear from the next generation of designers who have left their mark on the White House. Association president Stewart McLaurin speaks with Tham Kannalikham, White House Historical Association Board Member and former White House decorator, as well as Steven Spandle, architect of the White House tennis pavilion. The interviews took place at a gathering in Brooklyn, NY for the White House Historical Association's Next-Gen Leaders who learned how the plaster ornaments that decorate the new tennis pavilion were made from the host of the evening, Emily Bedard, one of the Association's Next-Gen Leaders and the Creative Director for Foster Reeve & Associates, the architectural and ornamental plaster design firm which worked with Kannahlikham and Spandle to bring the pavilion to life.

72. White House Builder James Hoban's Irish Roots Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President George Washington to design and build the President's House, Hoban would go on to create one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world. What is now known as the White House started to come to life when its cornerstone was laid on October 13, 1792. Join Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, as he travels to Hoban's birthplace and retraces the young Irishman's journey from County Kilkenny to Dublin, and discovers the architectural styles and designs that influenced Hoban before he set sail across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World.

71. Obama White House Portraits: The Artists Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

The White House Historical Association commissions official portraits of the president and first lady. As is the custom, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama picked their portrait artists before leaving office. The artists' names were kept confidential - until now. The official Obama portraits were unveiled at a White House ceremony hosted by President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on September 7, 2022. Association President Stewart McLaurin spoke to the artists Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung about the challenges of this unique historical assignment, their approach to creating the portraits, and what it feels like to know your work will hang in one of the greatest galleries in the world, the White House.

Robert McCurdy painted the official White House portrait of President Barack Obama.

Sharon Sprung painted the official White House portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama.

70. American Storyteller Bartlett Sher Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

Bartlett Sher is a Tony Award-winning director who has brought thoughtful, powerful productions to theaters, opera houses, and film. He is the Resident Director at Lincoln Center Theater and one of our greatest storytellers, using the stage to interpret and spotlight stories of American history. He has staged multiple productions at the Kennedy Center, including a tour this summer of his Award-winning adaptation of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird. Next spring, Sher and writer Aaron Sorkin will debut a revival of the musical Camelot on Broadway. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy said Camelot was JFK's favorite musical, and after his death, the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable came to symbolize the Kennedy administration.

69. Jackie Kennedy's White House Guidebook 60th Anniversary Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

The first White House guidebook was published in 1962 as a collaboration between First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, the new White House Historical Association, and the National Geographic Society. A special edition released on July 28th, 2022, Mrs. Kennedy's birthday, marks the 60th anniversary of The White House: An Historic Guide. In this episode, we revisit a conversation between White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin and National Geographic Society's Senior Director of Library and Archives Renee Braden, who shares a special oral history she recorded with Bob Breeden, one of the key people who created the first guide.

68. James Hoban: The Charleston Years May 27, 2022

Show notes

Charleston holds hints and clues to the formative years of the ambitious young Irishman James Hoban and his dream to make his mark in the United States. Join Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association and architectural historian and preservationist Shea McEnerney as they explore the Southern seaport to uncover the influences and legacy of the architect of the most famous residence in the world.

67. Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

Mark K. Updegrove shares new historical perspectives on the Kennedy presidency from his recent book, Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency. The author, President and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, and White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin explore the relationship between President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, the assessment of Kennedy among world leaders, and what might have been had the young President lived.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The White House 1600 Sessions

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected