Ushering in a New White House Chief Usher
THE OVERLOOK
Welcome to “The Overlook,” a column that will appear on Tuesdays and Fridays. An overlook is usually a place from which one can see in many if not all directions, including where one has been and where one is going. There is no political or personal agenda at work here other than to tell stories that from time to time will have a particular relevance. If you enjoy the column, please let others know.
A people without history
Is not redeemed from time, for history is a pattern
Of timeless moments.
-T.S. Eliot, “Four Quartets”
In all the celebrations on Wednesday for the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States, Timothy Harleth was overlooked. Donald and Melania Trump had fled to Florida early that morning, so it was Harleth, as chief usher of the White House, who had been left with the responsibility of greeting the Bidens when they finally arrived at their new home. It seems that being a stand-in for the Trumps cost Harleth his job.
Before going further, what does a chief usher do? Actually, much more than the implication that the role is nothing more than a well-dressed doorman. The chief usher essentially runs the President’s home, a sort of uber-concierge at a four- or eight-year B&B where a guest could be the prime minister of Great Britain or some guy from Ukraine peddling conspiracy theories. All have to be greeted and accommodated.
Initially, although the White House has had staff since it opened, the head of household operations, or chief usher, for most of the 1800s was the first lady of the United States. The informally recognized chief servant was often called the steward or stewardess, sometimes the doorkeeper, and beginning with President James Buchanan (1857-61), the usher. The position of chief usher was not established until 1891, in the administration of President Benjamin Harrison, who occupied the White House 30 years after Buchanan. However, while the title "chief usher" was not formalized until later, the term had been used by the press as early as August 1887. Finally, the official title was bestowed in 1897, during the term of William McKinley. William Dubois was the first to use the official title, but it applied only for the last four of his five years in the role. Thomas E. Stone was the first man to wear the chief usher title during his entire tenure.
The average length of service for a chief usher is 10 years. The job is one that typically involves a long tenure. For example, there have been just nine (soon to be 10, presumably) since the beginning of the 20th century. Despite the unusual title, the chief usher oversees all activities in the White House residence and works as general manager of the building, handling everything from the large staff of butlers, maids, chefs, florists, and electricians to fiscal, administrative, and personal duties. The chief usher also works closely with the first family, including providing guidance on the furnishings, art, and decor. In the past, White House chief ushers have largely been public servants, military personnel, or career staff members who worked their way up the usher ladder over several administrations.
The longest-serving White House chief usher was Irwin H. "Ike" Hoover, who served in the role for 24 of his 42 years in the White House. Ironically , the last President this particular chief usher served to the end of his term was Herbert Hoover and this was 20 years before “Ike” Eisenhower became President in 1953. (He had no relation to either President.)
“Ike” Hoover was born in Washington D.C. in 1871, the son of a grocer. His first job was as a telephone operator, but he later became an electrician. He became an employee of the Edison Electric Company, and was sent to the White House on May 6, 1891, to install the first electric lights and an electric bell system in the executive mansion. At the time, no private building in the city had electricity, and the only government-owned building which did was the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. President Harrison (the second one, not the first President Harrison, whose term lasted exactly one month) and his family considered electricity dangerous and no one in the Harrison family would even turn a light switch for fear of electrocution. On May 15, when Hoover finished the installation, he was asked by President Harrison to leave Edison Electric and join the White House staff as an electrician.
For the next several years, Hoover's job was to turn lights on and off in the White House throughout the day, and to assist the family in using the bell system, which they also feared. As the Harrisons and other presidential families became less intimidated by electricity, Hoover's job was to keep the system working and to install new electrical wiring and appliances as needed.
In 1904, when Theodore Roosevelt was President, Hoover accepted a position as an usher at the White House. The White House had asked him to act as temporary usher on several previous occasions, so the promotion was not as unusual as it might seem. Hoover was appointed chief usher by the outgoing Roosevelt in 1909. As it happens, “Ike” Hoover and “Teddy” were already well-acquainted with one another, as Roosevelt had served on the United States Civil Service Commission during the Benjamin Harrison administration and had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President McKinley.
Hoover served as chief usher until his sudden death in 1933, when another Roosevelt, Franklin, was new to the White House. From 1891 until 1909, Hoover’s daily uniform was a tailcoat (which hung to below the knees), waistcoat, formal trousers, and dress shirt with tie. This changed when President William Howard Taft (1909-1913) allowed staff to wear business suits. During these 42 years of service, Hoover had intimate daily contact with 10 Presidents and their families. In addition to being the executive head of the household, Hoover was in charge of all social affairs and entrusted with confidential matters of every description regarding the household and First Family. It was also his duty to welcome guests of the President, to arrange the details of their visits, and to make them feel at home in the White House.
Back to Timothy Harleth. He was not chief usher when President Trump’s term began to 2017. That role was filled by Angella Reid, the first woman and second African American to hold the position. She had been given it by the Obamas in October 2011 and by all accounts had done a fine job. But one day in the spring of 2017, when the White House residence staff arrived at work that morning, they were told that Reid was no longer employed at the White House. No explanation was given. Soon after, Mrs. Trump announced that Harleth was the chief usher. He had been the director of rooms at the Trump International Hotel in Washington. The White House role now included managing the 90 ushers tasked with making sure life runs smoothly for the President’s family and serving as the Trumps’ confidant on all matters from planning family dinner menus to handling personnel issues. Harleth also managed the budget for the residence.
Reportedly, Harleth too did a fine job. So what happened?
Well, with the Trumps choosing not to remain at the White House to participate in inauguration events, including welcoming the Bidens, the task fell to the chief usher. By the way, most reports referenced Andrew Johnson as being the last President not to attend his successor’s inauguration. That is true, but not for the reason being circulated in the media . In March 1869, Johnson, who also had been impeached, intended to go to the event, but the incoming President Ulysses Grant refused to sit with the anti-Reconstruction southerner in the carriage taking them to the ceremony. So, Johnson stayed behind, fuming.
Anyway, the Bidens wasted no time avenging the sacking of Angella Reid. According to CNN and other news outlets, Timothy Harleth was handed a pink slip before Wednesday night was over. Perhaps he’ll return to working for the Trump hotel chain . . . assuming it stays in business. Too bad the unfortunate Mr. Harleth hadn’t hacked out a niche for himself of turning on and off all the electric switches in the White House.
One last quick note about ushers and other staffers in the White House: Please find a copy of the November 2020 issue of Smithsonian magazine (or smithsonianmag.com), which has a terrific cover story titled “Behind the Scenes at the White House,” about the longtime workers there and their example of stability and loyalty. The piece was authored by Laura Bush, the former first lady.
Tom Clavin is the bestselling author/co-author of 18 books, including, most recently, “Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride From Hell,” the concluding volume in the “Frontier Lawmen” trilogy. For more info, go to tomclavin.com. “Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier,” the next collaboration with Bob Drury, will be published in April by St. Martin’s Press.
Informative read... looking forward to the coming post.
Good luck Ms Reid!
Very interesting!