Strange-but-true stories about America’s Presidents from the National Archives and Presidential Libraries.
In honor of Opening Day for the 2013 baseball season, we’ve put together this gallery of baseball-related photos, documents, and artifacts from the holdings of the 13 Presidential Libraries of the National Archives. This summary of Presidential baseball history was compiled by James Kratsas, Deputy Director at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. … Continue reading Play Ball, Mr. President!
Today’s post comes from Christopher Abraham at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. He answers a question each week on Facebook. This week’s Ask an Archivist query comes from Kansas. “Did Knute Rockne ever box Dwight D. Eisenhower? I heard that this took place in Abilene, Kansas, around 1913.” - Anonymous We have heard this story before. … Continue reading Did Knute Rockne ever box Dwight D. Eisenhower?
Today’s post comes from Christopher Abraham at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. He answers a question each week on Facebook. This week’s Ask an Archivist query comes from Pennsylvania. "Did Eisenhower teach Patton how to drive a tank at Camp Colt in Gettysburg?" Anonymous Captain George S. Patton knew how to drive a tank by the … Continue reading Eisenhower and (Tank) Driver’s Ed
Today's guest post is from Sherri DeCoursey, who used the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library to find a special piece of history for her father. For as long as I can remember, a photo of FDR and a letter have hung side-by-side in the den of Mom and Dad’s home. The yellowed letter, written by … Continue reading “I am a little country boy eight years old.”
Today's blog post comes from Susan K. Donius, Director of the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives. This post originally appeared on the White House blog. Last month, President Obama began his second Inaugural Address by saying, “Each time we gather to inaugurate a President we bear witness to the enduring strength of … Continue reading George Washington Writes in the Margins
“I do believe before the day was over he did ask me to marry him and I thought he was just out of his mind.” Claudia Alta "Lady Bird” Taylor Two teenagers in love might exchange hundreds of texts on their phones. But during their two-and-a-half month courtship, Lyndon Baines Johnson and Claudia Alta “Lady … Continue reading 90 letters in 90 days: The courtship of Lady Bird and LBJ
Today's post comes from Christopher Abraham at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. “I am a newspaper reporter and I would like to know if anything unusual happened during either of President Eisenhower’s inaugural ceremonies.” —Anonymous Have you ever seen a U.S. President lassoed by a cowboy? It likely qualifies as “unusual!” General Eisenhower related this … Continue reading Getting Ike into the Loop
George Washington As the first President, Washington set many inaugural precedents, but his inaugurations were also very different in ways that would not be repeated. The oath of office is usually administered the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during the ceremony. The first President had not yet appointed any Supreme Court Justices, and so … Continue reading All You Need to Know About Inaugurations
On Monday, January 21, President Obama will be sworn in for a second term. It will be the 57th Presidential Inauguration. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., the President’s swearing-in ceremony will be shown live in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives. If you are in Washington, DC, don't miss this chance to see … Continue reading See 13 Inaugurations in Four Days at the National Archives
"My station is new; and, if I may use the expression, I walk on untrodden ground." --George Washington in a letter, January 9, 1790 Today's post comes to us from Michael Hussey, education and exhibition specialist at the National Archives. In honor of the 2013 Inauguration, the first and last page of Washington's first Inauguration … Continue reading Washington’s first Inaugural Address now on display
