"LBJ WILL USE CAPITOL DESK & NEW ROCKING CHAIR"

LBJ MOVES INTO THE OVAL OFFICE

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On November 26, 1963, The Evening Star reports "President (Lyndon B.) Johnson moved into the oval White House office this morning but he will not use the desk President (John F.) Kennedy utilized."

The Star says that the JFK (a.k.a. Resolute) Desk*, "a startling discovery of history-minded Jacqueline Kennedy" early in the Kennedy's tenure in the Executive Mansion, was found gathering dust in the basement.

Mr. Johnson was using "an unadorned mahogany desk" on a temporary basis.  The desk he used in his office at the Capitol would soon replace it.

Although all of Mr. Kennedy's personal effects had been removed, LBJ had a rocker "looking very much like the one in which President Kennedy was so often photographed" brought in.

The Resolute Desk was a gift to President Hayes (1880) from Queen Victoria & built from the timbers of the HMS Resolute.  The desk was put in the President's office on the 2nd floor of the White House & after reconstruction of the mansion (1948-1952) it was placed in the Broadcast Room.

After LBJ & Nixon's tenures, President Jimmy Carter brought the Resolute back to the Oval Office (1977).  It has been used there by JFK, Carter, Reagan, GW Bush, Obama, Trump & Biden.  FDR actually had the keyhole cover (with eagle) built to conceal the steel braces on his legs, but it was not finished until after his death. 

SOURCES

"A Look at the Oval Office Desks of Presidents Past," by Mary Elizabeth Androiotis, January 20, 2021, House Beautiful, www.housebeautiful.com/

"Historic Kennedy Desk Is Take From Office," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., November 26, 1963, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

 

 

JFK & JFK Jr. in Oval Office

October 2 1963

Photo by Stanley Tretick

 

John White

at Resolute Desk

 (replica)
 

JACKIE RUNS HER HAND ACROSS THE NEW RED CARPET & SAYS "IT'S PERFECT!"

JFK+50:  Volume 7, No. 2186

REFLECTIONS ON "JACKIE": PART XI

Knoxville, Tennessee (JFK+50) JFK+50 begins the year 2017 with a review of "Jackie" starring Natalie Portman.  "Jackie" is a Fox Searchlight Pictures film directed by Pablo Larrain.

The screenplay was written by Noah Oppenheim.  Released on December 2, 2016, the movie has an "R" rating and lasts 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Moving forward in the film to a scene in the Oval Office at the White House. Jackie is wearing a new black dress.  It is morning and  although the sun is shining through the drawn curtains, the office is dim...

Jackie...is surrounded by the Resolute* desk, the same one that John John liked to crawl under...the coconut JFK used to write a message leading to the rescue of his PT109 after its sinking in the South Pacific in WWII...the model of the ship Danmark**...and the famous Kennedy rocker....

Mrs. Kennedy runs her hand across the new red carpet and says...

"It's perfect."

Bill Walton responds...

"We installed it while you were away (in Texas).  I thought it would be a nice surprise for you and the President."

Jackie replies...

"Who knows if he would have cared?"

JFK+50 NOTE

The refurbishing of the Oval Office as well as other offices in the West Wing would not have surprised President Kennedy.  He commented before leaving for Texas, "When we return, we will have new offices."

During JFK's presidency, the Oval Office had basically a green color scheme. The carpet and the curtains were green.  JFK's call director telephone and his desk lamp were green.  

The new color scheme was red and white.  The carpet was red and the curtains were white with red trim.  The green telephone and lamp were not changed. The movie did not get the lamp right.  They had what looked to be a gooseneck with double supports, while JFK's was a single solid posted lamp.

Photos of JFK's remodeled and original Oval Office can be seen below.  The White House Museum website describes the original carpet as "FDR's blue-gray rug."

*The First Lady brought the desk out of mothballs and had it placed in the Oval Office at the beginning of JFK's presidency.  The desk was a gift from Queen Victoria of Great Britain to President Rutherford B. Hayes on November 23, 1880.  It was built from the timbers of the British Arctic exploration ship "Resolute".

**Danmark was a full-rigged ship owned by the Danish Maritime Authority & launched in 1932.  It was offered to the U.S. as a training vessel during WWII.

SOURCES

"Jackie-Screenplay," by Script Pipeline, www.scriptpipeline.com/

"Oval Office History," The White House Museum, www.whitehousemuseum.org/

"The White House:  An Historic Guide," White House Historical Association, Washington, D.C., 1962.

JFK's Remodeled Oval Office
Photo by Cecil W. Stoughton
November 23, 1963
JFK Library Image

JFK's Original Oval Office

White House Historical Association, 1962

THE WHITE HOUSE I

JUNE 18, 2012

THE WHITE HOUSE I

Knoxville, Tennessee (JFK+50) Today we begin our report of Chapter 10 of the book by Kenneth P. O'Donnell & David F. Powers with Joe McCarthy.  It is published by Little, Brown & Company.

The title of Chapter 10 is THE WHITE HOUSE.


Kenneth O'Donnell writes in the 1st paragraph of this chapter:


"The Kennedy Inauguration took place on a Friday."


It just now occurred to me after all these years that the term of the 35th President of the United States began and ended around Noon on a Friday.


I need to do some research to find out if any other President's terms began & ended on the same days of the week. Interesting.


JFK, Kenny writes, could well have waited to begin "work" on Monday, but he was so "eager to get into his official duties" that the office staff were ordered to report to their desks at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 21.


The Oval Office was bare & painted in "a rather nauseous shade of green."


One of JFK's 1st Presidential decisions was to order the walls of his office painted a "cheerful off-white."


The next week would see the Kennedy Oval Office take the form that we all would recognize complete with JFK's PT109 coconut shell display & the plaque with the fisherman's prayer: "O, God, Thy sea is great, & my boat is so small."


Jackie found the "magnificent" Resolute Desk in the White House basement & had it brought up to the Oval Office.  The desk, a gift to President Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1878, had been used by FDR for his Fireside Chats.*

JFK's first visitor was former President Harry S Truman.  It was his first visit back since he left the Presidency in January 1953.


Later the White House staff members were sworn in.  Among them was "a key member of the White House staff"....RALPH DUNGAN.**


*The beautiful Resolute Desk was brought back to the Oval Office by Jimmy Carter in 1977 & stayed during the administrations of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush & Barack Obama.


**Ralph Dungan was the man who answered most of my many letters to JFK.  What I wanted desperately was an authentic signature of JFK...not one of the cards which read on the back "This is a facsimile reproduction."


After our visit to D.C. in the summer of 1962 & my failure to get a "glimpse" of the President, I returned home & sat down & wrote a long, long letter to Mr. Dungan.


I expressed my great support (one more time) for JFK & told him of my great disappointment of not getting to see him.  I asked Mr. Dungan to pass along my letter to the President & have him sign it.


In September,  I received a letter from Mrs. Evelyn Lincoln, the President's personal secretary.  She said that the President had read my letter which "Mr. Dungan made available to him."


She wrote that the President was appreciative of "my fine support" & rather than sign my letter he thought I might like to have "the enclosed White House card which he was happy to autograph for you."


WOW!


You guessed it, I still have the letter & card safely tucked away.  It is my "prized possession"....a personal link to my hero!

JFK+50 SITS AT THE RESOLUTE DESK

December 14, 2011


JFK+50 SITS AT THE RESOLUTE DESK


Knoxville, Tennessee (JFK+50) One of my lifelong dreams is to one day sit at the desk of the President of the United States in the oval office.


Unfortunately, that dream has not been realized. 


Today, however, I had the opportunity to sit at a replica of the famous "RESOLUTE" desk which is on display here in Knoxville at a local antique store.

        John White at the Resolute Desk
             Dutch Valley Antique Mall
                   Knoxville, Tennessee
                      December 14, 2011


The Dutch Valley Antique Mall at 2401 Dutch Valley Drive in Knoxville, Tennessee has secured a replica "Resolute" desk & has it on display in their store.


Dutch Valley, which I have visited for years, is offering this particular replica on their store site on EBAY for a "Buy It Now" price of $5975.00 with free shipping within 500 miles of the city.

             The Resolute Replica Desk
             Dutch Valley Antique Mall
                  Photo by John White


According to Dutch Valley Antiques, this replica desk is made of solid mahogany & is complete with the Presidential Seal.  One just like this one is in the oval office display at the Ronald Reagan Library in California.*


*Other replica desks are at the Carter, Clinton, JFK & Nixon Presidential Libraries.


Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy brought the desk out of "mothballs" & had it placed in the Oval Office for her husband.

The desk was a gift from Queen Victoria of Great Britain to President Rutherford B. Hayes on November 23, 1880.


It was built from the timbers of the British Arctic Exploration ship "Resolute".


The Queen had a twin desk made for herself.


A brass plate on one side of the desk reads:


"H.M.S. RESOLUTE forming part of the expedition sent in search of SIR JOHN FRANKLIN in 1852, was abandoned in latitude 74 degrees 41 minutes N longitude 101 degrees 22 minutes W on 15th May 1854. She was discovered & extricated in September 1855 in latitude 67 degrees N by Captain Buddington of the United States Whaler GEORGE HENRY.


The ship was purchased, fitted out & sent to England as a gift to HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA by the PRESIDENT & PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES as a token of goodwill & friendship.  This table was made from her timbers when she was broken up, & is presented by the QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN to the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES as a memorial of the courtesy & loving kindness which dictated the offer of the gift of the RESOLUTE."

              RESOLUTE BRASS PLATE

JFK & Caroline at the RESOLUTE DESK

     Mr. Obama at the RESOLUTE DESK
             Photo by Pete Souza (2009)


December 14, 1961


JFK CREATES COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN


Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10980 today at the White House.


The E.O. will establish the President's Commission on the Status of Women.


This commission will be composed of 26 members: 15 women & 11 men.


Former 1st Lady Eleanor Roosevelt will head the commission.

            Mrs. Roosevelt & Mr. Sinatra
                       Girl's Town Ball
                        March 12, 1960
                           NARA Photo


Some of the tasks of the Presidential commission include to review progress & make recommendations in:


--Employment policies & practices under Federal contracts
--Federal social insurance & tax laws as they impact women's income
--Federal & State labor laws dealing with hours, night work & wages
--Differences in legal treatment of men & women


Upon signing the order, JFK said:


"Women should not be considered a marginal group to be employed periodically only to be denied opportunities to satisfy their needs & aspirations."