In this special episode of The 1600 Sessions, financier and philanthropist David Rubenstein interviews White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin to discuss the work of the Association during the recent period of the COVID-19 pandemic and protests in Lafayette Square, and how the history of “The People’s House” provides context to the challenges of the present day.

George Washington might not have become the Founding Father we know today if not for the influence of his mother. For Mother’s Day, Association President Stewart McLaurin interviews Craig Shirley, author of “Mary Ball Washington: The Untold Story of Washington’s Mother,” about how our first president’s life and personality was shaped by the unique character of his mother.

Throughout our history, presidents have faced crises that have gripped both the nation and the world. In this episode, Association President Stewart McLaurin speaks to Paul Sparrow, Director of the FDR Library and Museum, and Mark Updegrove, President & CEO of the LBJ Foundation, about the unique challenges these two presidents faced, and the leadership skills that helped them navigate these challenges.

The White House is a symbol of freedom and democracy, but from its very conception it had a paradoxical relationship with the institution of slavery. In this episode, Association President Stewart McLaurin speaks to Association historians Matthew Costello, Lindsay Chervinsky, and Lina Mann about their groundbreaking work researching and telling the stories of the enslaved individuals that built, worked at, and lived in or near the White House.

To Learn more about our Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood initiative, visit our landing page. 

The institution of slavery and the stories of enslaved people have always been a part of the fabric of White House history. In this episode, White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin introduces a conversation between financier and philanthropist David Rubenstein and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III, about the history and legacy of slavery in the nation’s capital, held at St. John’s Church on February 5, 2020.

After President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy wanted her husband to be remembered through a national cultural center that would serve as a living memorial. In this episode, White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin talks to Deborah Rutter, President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, about the origins of the Kennedy Center, its mission to honor President Kennedy's legacy through support of the arts, and how it has had a relationship with the White House over time.

The White House is known for its creative confections and desserts, particularly during the holiday season. White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin speaks to Chef Roland Mesnier about his experiences serving as White House Pastry Chef for five presidential administrations, detailed in his new book, Creating the Sweet World of White House Desserts: A Pastry Chef’s Secrets, co-written with his former pastry assistant Mark Ramsdell.

From diplomatic dinners to holiday gatherings, the White House has always played a central role in the nation’s official entertainment. White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin speaks to historian and author Jennifer Pickens about her new book, Entertaining at the White House: Decades of Presidential Traditions, and the entertainment styles of recent Presidents and First Ladies.

For more than 60 years, the President of the United States has flown in a helicopter for domestic and international travel. White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin speaks to two former Marine One pilots, Colonel Steve Taylor and Colonel Kevin Wild, and the president of Sikorsky Dan Schultz about the role of Sikorsky helicopters in the history of presidential travel.

Learn more about the Official 2019 White House Christmas Ornament, honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s commitment to innovation as the first sitting president to use regular helicopter transportation, here.

George Washington never lived in the White House, but played a major role in its design, as well as the design of the capital city that bears his name. White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin talks to Association Historian Dr Matthew R. Costello, author of “The Property of the Nation: George Washington's Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President” about George Washington’s legacy and the important precedents he set, including how the nation remembers and memorializes our presidents.