In a richly illustrated conversation, Gary J. Walters, the longest-serving chief usher in White House history, shares the extraordinary events he experienced during his 37 years of service.
Officially, the role of the chief usher is to serve as the general manager of the Executive Mansion, with full responsibility for directing its administrative, fiscal, and personnel functions. Unofficially, it’s the usher’s job to coordinate with the first family and to fulfill their wishes.
It is from this unique vantage point that Walters observed life as lived in the White House: first family routines and living spaces, official and informal entertaining by Presidents Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and their families. Walters provides behind-the-scenes details of such landmark events as Watergate and President Nixon’s last day in office, the Bicentennial visit of Queen Elizabeth II, and the first White House visit of the Pope. He also shares the tensions as first families await outcomes on Election Day, the resources marshaled for the transition from one family to the next on Inauguration Day, and a detailed account of what was going on at the White House on September 11, 2001.
Walters’ book, White House Memories 1970–2007: Recollections of the Longest Serving Chief Usher (White House Historical Association), is available for purchase.
Book Sale Information
General Information
