Jimmy Carter Is First Living President Commemorated with Official White House Christmas Ornament
The White House Historical Association unveils 2024 ornament honoring Carter’s presidency.
The White House Historical Association Wednesday released the Official 2024 White House Christmas Ornament commemorating the Jimmy Carter presidency.
The ornament is in the shape of an anchor and signifies former President Jimmy Carter’s service in the U.S. Navy and other aspects of his presidency (1977-1981). The announcement marks the first time a living U.S. president has been honored with an official White House ornament. Carter is 99 years old and his wife for 77 years, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, died in November at the age of 96.
“For a lot of us in our family, when we think about the White House, we really think about Christmas,” the Carters’ grandson, Jason Carter, told the White House Historical Association. “Christmas was a time when we would see our grandparents.”
The Official White House Christmas Ornament is produced by the White House Historical Association, a private, nonprofit, educational organization founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to support her vision to restore and preserve the Executive Mansion and its legacy.
Today, the Association’s acquisitions, preservation, research, and education efforts continue through private donations and the sale of its published books, products, and the Official White House Ornament. The Official White House Christmas Ornament is made in America by a veteran-founded business.
The front and back of the ornament features:
A view of the North Portico accompanied by doves which symbolize President Carter’s peacemaking efforts while in the White House, and red poinsettias recalling the colorful holiday décor at the Executive Mansion during his presidency.
The Seawolf-class USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) on the back of the ornament signifies Jimmy Carter as the only president to have qualified in submarines.
A globe on the anchor represents Carter’s life-long commitment to the environment and symbolizes Carter’s efforts to secure world peace as a president and as a private citizen.
At the base of the anchor are peanuts and yellow blossoms, which serve as a reminder of Carter’s years as a farmer and businessman in Plains, Georgia.
“With these intricate ornaments, we are able to educate Americans about the unique and important parts of our country’s history,” said Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association in a press release. “Each ornament furthers the Association’s mission to protect, preserve, and provide access to the rich history of America’s Executive Mansion.”
The White House Historical Association’s Official White House Christmas Ornament began in 1981. Each ornament sequentially focuses on a president’s time in the White House or a significant White House anniversary. The Official 2024 White House Christmas Ornament retails for $24.95 and is available online and in stores at these locations:
The White House History Shop, 1610 H St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
The White House Visitor Center, 1450 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
Mayflower Hotel Pop-Up Shop, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
Calendar
March 4, 2024
Online and In-person: U.S. Archivist Moderates ‘Remember the First Ladies’ Discussion
In celebration of Women's History Month, join the Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan, who will moderate a program featuring Diana Carlin, Anita McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith, co-authors of a new book, Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History-Making Women. The program will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. EST. The book illustrates first ladies’ unique position to influence American society, policy, diplomacy, and life in the White House and illuminates how many of them broke barriers to make a mark on our country and, at times, the world. A book signing will follow the program. Read more and view here
March 8, 2024
Virtual Legacy Lecture: A Remarkable Life: Lucretia Rudolph Garfield
The National First Ladies Library and Museum presents a virtual program about Lucretia Rudolph Garfield, who lived a remarkable life that took her from humble beginnings in northeast Ohio all the way to the White House as first lady of the United States. This presentation will examine Mrs. Garfield’s life for its many joys as well as its many tragedies. Read more
March 12, 2024
Spring Garden Party Note Writing Day
Join Spring Garden Party co-chairs Mrs. Aimee Burck and Mrs. Zoe Persina for a Tudor Place tradition. Garden Party Committee members will have the opportunity to generate support and excitement for the event by writing personal notes to friends and family to go along with Garden Party invitations. Coffee and tea will be served. Read more
March 15, 2024
City Tavern Club Presents Author Night: Revolutionary First Ladies
Co-authors of the newly published Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women will speak about early first ladies as part of the City Tavern America 250 lecture series at 6:30 p.m. EST on Friday, March 15. Authors include Diana B. Carlin, Anita McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith. Books will be available for onsite purchase with a book signing to follow. RSVP: bbello@citytavernclubdc.org.
March 15 and 16, 2024
First Ladies Trilogy
Three back-to-back first ladies (1945-63) appear in a two-night series of live performances at the Winona Arts Center, 228 East 5th Street Winona, Minnesota. Bess Truman, Friday, and Mamie Eisenhower and Jackie Kennedy, Saturday. Read more
March 18, 2024
A Conversation with White House Social Secretaries
The George W. Bush Presidential Center will present a panel of former White House Social Secretaries who will share insights and behind-the-scenes stories about entertaining at the White House. From State Dinners to picnics on the South Lawn, the experts will discuss the importance of the White House as a stage for hospitality and diplomacy.
Anita McBride, former Assistant to President Bush and Chief of Staff to Former First Lady Laura Bush, will moderate a conversation with Jeremy Bernard, former White House social secretary to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama; Gahl Hodges Burt, former White House social secretary to President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan; and Amy Zantzinger, former White House social secretary to President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush. Ticket information here
March 18, 2024
Virtual: Bringing Home the White House: The Hidden History of the Women who Shaped the Presidency in the 20th Century
The National Archives and Records Administration presents a discussion on Bringing Home the White House: The Hidden History of the Women who Shaped the Presidency in the 20th Century, by Melissa Estes Blair. The event will take place online from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The book focuses on the period from 1932-1960, and much of the research was conducted at the Truman Library in 2018. Please email Azalea Michel-Whitley to RSVP and for more information at azalea.michelwhitley@nara.gov. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to the live conversation with the author. Read more
Through March 19, 2024
University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars
The application for the 2024-2025 University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars Program is open. Students in their final year of study in a master’s program at one of three schools at the University of Chicago: the Harris School of Public Policy; Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice; and Booth School of Business can participate in the Obama Foundation Scholars program at the University of Chicago. The application closes on March 19, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Read more
March 21, 2024
Virtual Young Learners Program: Meet Eleanor Roosevelt
The National Archives and Records Administration presents a virtual program from 11 a.m. to noon EST on March 21 about former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a humanitarian, civil rights advocate, and the longest serving first lady of the United States. Eleanor Roosevelt also made history as a co-creator and delegate to the United Nations. Come learn about the work and influence of Eleanor Roosevelt and how she served as a role model for all Americans. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is portrayed by Rene Goodwin of the American Historical Theatre. Read more and view here.
March 25, 2024
Virtual and in-person: The East Wing: Expanding First Ladies’ Impact from Jacqueline Kennedy to Jill Biden
Anita McBride, Director of the First Ladies Initiative at the American University School of Public Affairs and co-author of Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History-Making Women; Barbara Perry, professor and co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia's Miller Center and author of Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier; and Elizabeth Rees, doctoral candidate at Oxford University, discuss the evolution of the role of the first lady from the Kennedy administration through the present day. Read more
April 3, 2024
FLARE will Present ‘First Ladies Then and Now: Communicating Their Stories’
Registration is underway for the pre-conference program "First Ladies Then and Now: Communicating Their Stories" hosted by the First Ladies Association for Research and Education in conjunction with the Central States Communication Association. The event will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 3.
The theme of the half-day program will feature FLARE members and representatives of the Ford Library and Museum and Foundation. FLARE members will participate in three panels that look at the past 40 years of first lady scholarship, pedagogical practices, and outreach activities with a look forward by immediate past president of FLARE Myra Gutin.
Register here.
Registration is available for the Pre-Conference FLARE program only. The fee is $25 for in-person or $5 for live streaming. FLARE Lifetime Members will receive a complimentary registration.
The CSCA Convention will be held at the Grand Amway Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Please follow this link for hotel accommodations.
Through April 21, 2024
Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place
Tudor Place will offer “Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent” at Tudor Place. Curated in collaboration with descendants, this special installation and guided tour presents the multi-faceted individuals and families of African descent who lived and worked at Tudor Place. Explore the historic house through their lives, learn how they impacted the world around them and discover their enduring legacy. Read more
Submit calendar items, announcements and press releases to East Wing Magazine at jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.