THE LAST CAMELOT DINNER-DANCE
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On the evening of March 8, 1963, President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy hosted the sixth and last dinner-dance of the Camelot years at the White House here in the Nation's capital. The honoree of the event was Eugene Black*, director of the World Bank.
The
night of March 8th was cold and the grounds of the mansion were covered
with snow. Fifty guests sat at five large round tables set up in the
Blue Room.
Along
with dinner**, the guests enjoyed champagne and liquor. A dozen
violinists played Viennese and Hungarian music in the background.
The
adjoining Red and Green Rooms were heated from their blazing fireplaces
and after dinner the Blue Room was cleared for dancing. Dance music
was performed by society bandleader Lester Lanin***.
*Eugene
Robert Black (1898-1992) was born in Atlanta, GA. His father was
chairman of the Federal Reserve in the 1930s. ERB was educated at the
University of Georgia & served in the US Navy in WWI. He was
president of the World Bank (1949-1963), & chairman of Brookings
Institute (1962-1968)
**WHITE HOUSE DINNER MENU, 8 MARCH 1963
Indus River Minnow
Sauce Tata
Breast of Ida
Volta Dam Wild Rice
Endives Roseires
Snowy Mountain Asparagus
Sauce Botota
***Lester
Lanin (1907-2004) was born in Philadelphia, PA. LL was a jazz and
popular music bandleader famous for medleys designed for continuous
dancing.
SOURCES
"Events: 8 March 1963, Dinner-Dance (Friends)," Archives, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, www.jfklibrary.org/
"Mrs. Kennedy: The Missing History of the Kennedy Years," by Barbara Leaming, Simon and Schuster, 2011.
"These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack and Jackie," by Christopher Andersen, Simon and Schuster, 2013.
White House Tour
Blue Room
Photos by John White
March 2017
