They say that the house is haunted. Ridiculous, you say? No educated person believes in ghosts! Before you utterly dismiss the claims, however, you would do well to consider the credentials of […]
The Ghosts That Haunt the White House
The Contagious Insanity of the Lincoln Assassination
It wasn’t that long ago that people believed mental illness behaved like the common cold. One of the reasons for the establishment of mental asylums was to quarantine the insane, thus protecting […]
How the Baby Ruth Candy Bar Influenced the Bombing of Hiroshima
This morning’s headlines are filled with reports of war, pandemic, political turmoil, and — perhaps most distressingly — further chronicles in the lives of a couple of people named Harry and Meghan. […]
When Mark Twain Needed the First Lady to Reassure His Wife
Mark Twain has a well-deserved reputation for not being intimidated by those in high authority. His self-assurance and disregard for the opinion of others allowed him to rub elbows with the most […]
The White House Crisis that Left the President and First Lady Black and Blue
“Come up here right away!” The White House staff is accustomed to responding immediately to any request from the First Lady. This command caused more than the usual flurry of activity, however. […]
Calvin Coolidge Makes Short Work of Long Sermon
Preachers and politicians often share the quality of loquaciousness. That doesn’t mean they necessarily appreciate or tolerate that quality in each other.
The Love Affair That Began and Ended With a Shave
Grace was watering flowers one morning when she saw the most extraordinary thing. The young schoolteacher was just a couple of years into her teaching assignment at the Clarke Schools for Hearing […]
Fun Facts About the First Ladies — Part 2
The role of first lady is ambiguous. It is not an elected position, and the Constitution is silent on the issue. By custom, the first lady is the official hostess of White […]
Taking Comfort by Looking in the Face of Imperfection
In her four years as First Lady of the United States, Barbara Bush had plenty of opportunities to contemplate the White House and its priceless artifacts. While some might gravitate toward the […]
Harry and Bess Truman: A Love Story
In an era of political scandals, it is refreshing and reassuring to see a couple whose love for each other was unscathed, even through the most tumultuous of times. Such is the […]
Fun Facts About the First Ladies — Part 1
One of the most powerful positions in the world is unelected, unpaid, and technically has no official authority. The wife of the President of the United States — the first lady — […]
Unnecessary Instructions
Betty Ford recalled a time when she was First Lady and was flying aboard Air Force One. She was in the restroom when the plane hit some unexpected turbulence. The Secret Service […]
2 D’s, or Not 2 D’s…
President Abraham Lincoln liked to joke about the well-to-do background of his wife’s family. “The Todds spell their name with two d’s, which is pretty impressive, considering one d is good enough […]
Surprise Witness
In the early days of the Civil War, rumors began to circulate that the Confederacy had a highly-placed spy within the US government — none other than the First Lady, herself, Mary […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 