Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies

A journalist based in Washington, DC, Kotz assisted West in writing his memoir. The author of four books and several articles in the fields of history, politics, and art, she had the writing skills to perform this role. Her background in both politics and the arts is fitting for this work, as West spends time discussing the restoration project that transformed the White House into a museum of sorts. There are occasions as well when West discusses the artwork on the walls. He undoubtedly met Kotz during the Johnson administration, as Kotz was good friends with Bess Abell, Lady Bird Johnson’s social secretary. Kotz was later hired to do a videography project of former presidents in the White House for Lady Bird Johnson.

To the public, Jackie appeared to be the young, reserved, and glamorous wife of President Kennedy. West did not consider that image to capture the real Jackie. Happiest when playing with her young children, Jackie, per West, was impish, witty, and irreverent. She preferred to be out of Washington, at country houses where she could ride horseback and have privacy. Fiercely protective of her privacy and her children’s, she managed the media’s access to her children and made requests for plants to block the public from viewing her children at play. She was devoted to her husband and would drop everything for him. Over time, Jackie, who initially hated the title of first lady, adjusted to the role and became more comfortable in her husband’s political world. She clearly felt The Impact of Public Scrutiny on the Life of the First Family.

From a wealthy family, Jackie had experience with the management of servants. She took charge early in her tenure as first lady and evaluated the skills of each member of staff. She had a knack for putting the skills of each to good use and was a demanding task master. West took to carrying around a pad with him because she could pop up anywhere with more requests. Yet she was concerned about the welfare of the staff and their pay. West loved working with her on the restoration project. He found the work to be challenging and creative and was pleased with the contribution of this first lady to the transformation of the White House into a museum. She identified a means to fund the project via the production of a brochure. When the writer of the brochure became difficult to handle, she and West found a remedy for that as well.

During her short years in the White House, Jackie endured the trauma of losing a baby in a premature birth and losing her husband in a presidential assassination. She handled those traumas with dignity. West notes how she instructed the staff to have the White House look as it did after President Lincoln’s assassination. She had a plaque put in the room where President Kennedy had slept and a painting inscribed in his memory. Alone among the first ladies he served, Jackie befriended West, and he provided emotional solace to her after the death of her husband, highlighting The Important Role of Behind-the-Scenes Workers. He later went to a surprise birthday party for her, and she was thrilled to see him.

Explaining how Mamie was both informal, taking a personal interest in the staff, and a lover of formality with all its pomp and circumstance, West describes Mamie as a spectacular hostess and a kind employer. In hosting receptions for foreign dignitaries and the elite in Washington, she contributed to the presidency. Additionally, she sent birthday cards and presents to the staff and insisted on time off for them after big events. Yet she had a “spine of steel” (120) and took full control of domestic affairs in the White House. Indeed, she treated the mansion as hers and not a governmental building. She chastised a staff member once for allowing the president to approve a menu because she believed that was her purview. Given that her husband had come from military service, both she and he liked clear chains of command and a division of labor, and she functioned as a first lady very much as she did as a general’s wife.

Mamie liked to sleep late and made clear that she and the president would share the same bedroom. She loved pink and was taken with television, which was new at this time. Very particular about her directives at the White House and private home in Gettysburg, she had West supervise a reconstruction project at the latter place. His job was to ensure that her commands were carried out as directed. At the conclusion of the project, the Eisenhowers hosted a party for the staff and their spouses, something not done before. When the president had a heart attack, Mamie kept the White House informed of his condition daily. She was in love with the president and devoted to him. When the candidate of the other party, President Kennedy, won in 1960, Mamie hosted a debut for her two nieces late that November instead of a victory party. West labeled it a “page from the past” (169) and noted that Mamie was the last first lady born in the 19th century.

Described as down-to-earth and funny, Bess Truman treated the staff well and asked little of them. West noted the class difference between the outgoing and incoming first ladies, as Eleanor Roosevelt was from the upper class and there was not a class difference between himself and Bess. The Trumans were a very close family and did not allow the living in White House to affect their family life, although The Impact of Public Scrutiny on the Life of the First Family was seen in how President Truman reacted to criticism of their daughter Margaret. The president and first lady spent considerable time together at lunch and dinner. They watched movies in the early evening with Margaret.

Although Bess assumed the traditional duties of a first lady, supervising domestic affairs, meeting with charitable groups, and hosting events, her real Contribution to the presidency was in her counsel to her husband. Almost every evening, the couple would meet privately from 9 o’clock to 11 o’clock, and discuss policy, speeches, and other political matters. Bess, an intelligent and knowledgeable woman, influenced presidential decisions. She additionally handled the traditional role well, ensuring frugality in expenditures, insisting on the cleanliness of the White House, and making personnel decisions.

Instrumental in transforming the role of first ladies, Lady Bird Johnson delegated the day-to-day management of the White House, including planning for receptions and parties, to her social secretary. West described her as a “corporate First Lady” (280). She had the final say over domestic matters but was not the one doing the detailed planning. Given the significant amount of entertaining done during the Johnson administration, the delegation of the role of party planner freed Lady Bird to do other things. In keeping with the corporate way, she had a structured schedule, doing work at her desk in the morning and making public appearances in the afternoon.

Having a cordial relationship with her predecessor, Lady Bird ensured the completion of the restoration project. However, she initiated her own project of beautification, which won her national recognition and applause from ecologists and the National Park Service. The project was a forerunner to the environmental movement of the 1970s, and her unique contribution to the presidency. Both of her daughters wed to great fanfare while she was in the White House. While her husband could be domineering at times to her, she stood up to him in some cases. Once, she insisted that a dog could not be in a wedding photo, for example, despite his pleas. West was touched by her kindness when she called to thank him personally for his wedding gift to one of her daughters.

When West began his career in the White House in 1941, Eleanor was the first lady. He was immediately struck by her energy, as she was constantly in motion and had a lot of matters to juggle. He was placed in charge of her travel planning and had to make last-minute changes routinely. Although Eleanor was an advocate of the downtrodden and committed to projects to improve the lives of many, she did not see the staff as her equals. West felt the class divide with her. Yet he was impressed with her commitment to public service. She invited many guests to the White House but paid them little attention. It was up to the staff to meet their needs. To her credit, she was an advocate of civil rights for African Americans and she invited Blacks to the White House, to her mother-in-law’s chagrin. She also offended the sensibilities of Crim at times with her mode of dress and informality. When she began giving silver spoons to soldiers wounded in the war, Crim intervened to persuade her not to give away such valuables.

Although Eleanor and the president had separate lives by 1941, she “performed a high-level intelligence operation for him” (19). Because the president’s infirmity limited his travel, Eleanor would travel and observe, interviewing ordinary people and government officials, a unique contribution that she made to the presidency. She would report back to him, often going to “the very heart of a subject” (19). In this way and in her commitment to public service projects, Eleanor contributed to the presidency. She made clear that she was the mistress of the White House despite her inattention to that domestic role at times when a permanent resident married. She told the man’s wife in no uncertain terms that she was in charge. When her husband died, she requested time alone with his body. West noted as well that she shook hands with Crim and all the ushers upon her departure.

West did not get to know Pat Nixon well, as he retired just a couple of months into her tenure as first lady. As a result, he mainly saw her public self. However, he noted that she was spontaneous and warm. Like the other first ladies whom he had served, she protected her privacy and was willing to be on public display for the sake of her husband. She did not embrace a particular project but sought to encourage volunteerism.

Of all the presidents under whom West served, President Johnson made the greatest demands on the staff. However, he also won the staff’s loyalty. Roaming the halls at night, he insisted on keeping the lights off to save money, which was a hardship for the staff. He used all of the White House to conduct business, creating a daily logistical challenge for the staff. Often eating dinner very late, the staff insisted on serving him and, therefore, stayed working late into the night. To accommodate his demand for a shower with intense water pressure, the staff went to heroic lengths. On one occasion, he sent a meal back to the kitchen, claiming the meat had gone bad. It turned out that he simply did not like the taste of the dish. It was never served again. In discussing the unusual requests of President Johnson, West provides a look at The Important Role of Behind-the-Scenes Workers.

When West began his career at the White House as an usher, Roosevelt was president. Immediately, West was amazed at the extent of the president’s paralysis. He saw the great lengths to which the White House staff went to hide that disability from the public, one example of The Important Role of Behind-the-Scenes Workers. President Roosevelt’s two valets provided much assistance to him, even dressing him. West juxtaposes the public’s view of the president with the view from inside the White House. Enjoying a drive with his dog Fala, the president met the same lady friend several times. West notes Roosevelt’s shocked reaction upon seeing Winston Churchill naked, after which he left the room until Churchill dressed. On his fourth inauguration, the president was ill but nonetheless gave a good speech. At that point, his daughter was on hand to help care for him. West notes that all Americans remembered where they were upon hearing of his death on April 12, 1945. West heard it on the radio and phoned Crim. They quickly proceeded to the White House, where there was no time to mourn with so much to do.

West was struck by how close the Truman family was. In fact, Truman was very protective of his wife and daughter, one aspect of The Impact of Public Scrutiny on the Life of the First Family. On more than one occasion, that threatened to become a political problem. For example, he wrote a scathing letter to a reviewer who had panned his daughter Margaret’s singing debut. Another time, his wife stopped him from expelling an ambassador who had slighted her. He kept to a schedule, which included meals with his wife, movies with his family, and a political strategy session with his wife. He enjoyed playing poker with friends as well.

During his administration, the White House was literally falling apart, and he convinced Congress to create a commission on the renovation of the White House. When that commission returned with three options, two of which involved the demolition of the historic mansion, Truman, with the public’s support, convinced Congress to have the inside gutted but to retain the building. An attempted assassination of Truman forever changed the public’s accessibility to the first couple and the freedom of movement of the first family. When Truman left office, West witnessed his first transfer of power from one living president to another.

Oblivious to the presence of staff, Eisenhower was openly affectionate toward his devoted wife, Mamie. With a background in the military as a general, Eisenhower was formal and kept a chain of command. He ceded control of domestic operations at the White House completely to his wife Mamie. He kept regular hours and enjoyed his leisurely activities, such as painting, golf, reading, and watching westerns on television. West noted that this president did not like to be interrupted when at leisure. He associated with corporate lawyers and executives, playing bridge with them. Naming the presidential retreat Camp David after his grandson, he and his wife enjoyed spending time there. West speaks highly of Eisenhower’s treatment of the staff and himself. When renovations on the Eisenhowers’ Gettysburg home were completed, the first couple threw a party for the staff and their spouses. Additionally, when West mentioned to Crim that he wished he were going with the first couple on a trip to Iowa, where West’s father lived, the Eisenhowers made it happen. West was appreciative. In discussing the health problems of this president, such as his heart attack and ileitis, West again gives of the world only seen by behind-the-scenes workers.

When West began his work in the Usher’s office, Crim was the Chief Usher. “[E]asily horrified at anything he considered a breach of the highest standards in manners and morals” (11), Crim was always proper and formal. West could tell that Crim disapproved of Eleanor Roosevelt’s informality at times. However, he said nothing and served the president and first lady with deference. Crim mentored West and taught him the role of chief usher. Crim taught West that the key to survival on the permanent staff was adjustment and flexibility. There could be no lingering loyalties to previous administrations, only to the institution of the White House.

In discussing the Kennedy administration, West focuses almost entirely on Jackie. However, he noted that President Kennedy was very concerned with press coverage. Jackie had West have the staff sign a statement of confidentiality, which provoked a public backlash. The president then asked West if he would take the blame for that to quiet the press, and West agreed. Initially, President Kennedy worried about the White House budget and involved himself in its review. However, he later learned that the budget was inadequate and ignored the issue. The Kennedys lightened the formality of entertainment and allowed for more alcohol and smoking. After President Kennedy’s assassination, the White House staff found itself with virtually no time to mourn with the need to prepare the White House and to ready itself for a new administration.