Western White House
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The logo in the background was created by the Bush Administration in August 2001, and is displayed at press briefings during Bush's stays at his ranch in Crawford. The sign reads:
CRAWFORD, TEXAS
The Western White House is a name traditionally given to a residence of the President of the United States, while working away from the official presidential residence, the White House.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt briefly resided and administered the duties of his office from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi during World War II. The hotel was called the Western White House during his stay. Roosevelt was also the first President to use the Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland facility later named Camp David (named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower's grandson). Camp David is sometimes known as the "Weekend White House". The model for Camp David is Herbert Hoover's retreat known as Rapidan Camp (Camp Hoover).
The first governmental spending on property improvements of private presidential residences was at Dwight Eisenhower’s Gettysburg farm, where the Secret Service added three guard posts to a fence.[1] Federal law now allows the president to designate a residence outside of the White House as his temporary offices,[2] so that federal money can be used to provide required facilities.[3]
During the Johnson administration, the LBJ Ranch on the Pedernales River in Texas served as the Western White House.[4] Likewise, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan often retreated to their California homes during their presidencies. Nixon went to La Casa Pacifica in San Clemente, California, while Reagan spent nearly 1/8th of his presidency at his Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara County, California. Their homes were each officially dubbed the Western White House, and substantial Federal funds were used to make security, communications, and real estate improvements.[1] Nixon also had a home in Key Biscayne, Florida, which was known as the "Southern White House" or the Florida White House.[5]
Gerald Ford conducted a considerable amount of the nation’s business from The Lodge in Vail Colorado, which became known as the Western White House during his presidency.[6]
Bill Clinton, in contrast to his successor, did not maintain a "Western White House" during his presidency (neither did he maintain a personal residence as Governor of Arkansas). After leaving office, he and his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), purchased a home in New York.
The current official Western White House is Prairie Chapel Ranch, the Crawford, Texas home of George W. Bush. The Bush administration created a logo for the Western White House in August 2001. A sign with the logo has been hung in the press briefing area in Crawford at the start of each of Bush's August vacations; the blue oval sign bears the Seal of the President of the United States and reads, "The Western White House / Crawford, Texas". The sign is similar in size and shape to the one that hangs on the wall of the White House pressroom.[7][8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Damon, Allan L. (June 1974). "Presidential Expenses". Volume 25, Issue 4. American Heritage Magazine.
- ^ 31 C.F.R. 408.2(c)
- ^ "Around the Nation; Reagan designates ranch a 'Western White House'", The New York Times (Associate Press), 1981-02-05.
- ^ Texas Research Trip (Website). The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. Retrieved on August 9, 2006.
- ^ "Richard Nixon, Mortgagee", TIME Magazine, 1973-09-10. Retrieved on August 25, 2006.
- ^ Wyrick, Randy. "Ford celebrates 93rd birthday in Vail", Vail Daily, 2006-07-14.
- ^ "Pictures of the Week", Time, August 2001. Retrieved on August 9, 2006.
- ^ The White House (2001-08-09). Press Briefing by Scott McClellan. Press release.
