All the President's Trees

My love of quirky little facts and interesting connections that a study of history can unearth often encourages some students to attempt to locate factoids on their own. My history investigators love to surprise me, shock me, and even sometimes stump me with their findings.

It wasn’t too long ago that I was beginning my day as usual glancing over my binder of lesson plans in a feeble attempt to remember where each particular class had left off the day before and where we needed to land by the end of classes that day. One of my sweet cherubs bounded into the room and stationed himself beside me as I sat at my desk. He placed his arm rather heavily on the back of my swivel chair and I felt my chair lean back sharply. My hands reached for the top of the desk as I attempted to steady myself. I turned and sent the young man my most freezing glance over the top of my reading glasses.

“Oops,” he said and backed up a bit.

I pointed down to the floor and waved him back, back, back behind the line of masking tape that had been on my carpet since I had moved into the room a few years before. I smiled to myself while I reemphasized my procedure for approaching my desk and continued to read through my plan. The young man stood quietly resting on first one foot and then the other.

Now before you think I’m a mean old teacher please understand that I had to begin an approach policy to my desk after being run over, stepped on, pushed accidentally, and nearly having my chair flipped over on many different occaisions. I had also had a few incidents with students in their excitement to be helped get into to pushing matches and slug fests over who was first. Student safety and my own survival instincts gave birth to my line in the carpet not my desire to be unapproachable.

After two or three minutes and after I thought I had made my point I removed my glasses, looked up, and smiled at my over enthusiastic student.

“Good morning!” I said. “What can I do for you?” I motioned for him to step forward.

He stood at the corner of my desk, puffed his chest out, and said, “I might know something you don’t.”

“Really?” I swiveled my chair towards him and crossed my legs as I sat back. “Well, I’m ready to be impressed. Fire when ready!”

“Well, you know Jimmy Carter? He’s from Georgia you know. He was a Senator or something…I don’t really know, but something important. Anyway, when he was President of the United States his daughter…I can’t remember her name….”

“Do you mean Amy? Amy Carter?”

He nodded vigorously and said, “Yeah, Amy. That’s her name. She was in middle school and had this school project about trees.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she had to label some trees and tell what kind they were so Mr. Carter gave her permission to label the trees around the White House.”

I rested my chin on my hand and said, “Now that’s kind of neat when think about it. That must have been fun living in the White House while being in the sixth or seventh grade.”

“Oh I know”, he said, “I think she ought to write a book about it.”

“Hmmm….that would be interesting, but tell me more. How did her project turn out?”

“Oh, I don’t know, but apparently the President was impressed and he and Amy encouraged the White House gardners to label all of the trees on the grounds of the White House.”

I glanced at the clock. The bell to begin the day would ring in five minutes and I needed to go down the hall. I stood up and said, “I’m really impressed. I had never heard that before.”

“Wow, I knew something you didn’t.”

“Yep, you did. It’s not worth knowing though unless you share it. Thanks for telling me. Hey, where did you learn this anyway?”

“Some trivia site on the Internet. I don’t remember which one.”

“Well, remind me in class today and I’ll let you share it with the others, ok?”

My student’s effort to impress me inspired me to dig a bit deeper. I was wondering if I could very the episode from the Carter administration.

The grounds of the White House are very interesting and are as historic as the interior of the home itself. The White House homepage explains that the oldest trees on the grounds are more than like the two Southern Magnolias planted by Andrew Jackson in honor of his wife, Rachel. She had passed away before moving to the White House, so Jackson had the trees brought from his Tennessee home, Hermitage, for planting. The trees probably date between 1829 and 1837. They are still going strong.

In more recent times it has become the custom for each President to plant a tree of some kind on the grounds beginning with President Grover Cleveland. Currently there are 35 or 36 trees on the grounds of the White House that were officially planted by a President.

Our current president, George Bush, planted a Cut Leaf Silver Maple in July, 2001 while his father planted a Little Leaf Linden with the help of Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. Another interesting tree on the grounds of the White House involves an American Elm tree planted during the administration of Teddy Roosevelt somewhere between 1902 and 1906. During severe storms in 2006 the Elm came down. Take out a twenty dollar and look at the back. You can see Roosevelt’s tree on the right side.

Getting back to Amy Carter’s science project……my young man did share something with me I didn’t know. Before I posted the incident I wanted to verify the story, but have been unable to do so. It makes a nice story especially for school children who have to learn about the classification system for plants and animals, however, at this point I can’t be sure if it’s just a cute story or the real deal.

Did it really take Amy’s science project to get the National Parks Service to label the trees on the grounds of the White House? Why weren’t they already labeled? It seems like they would be. If you know anything about this incident with President Carter and his daughter please leave a comment and add to the story.

Finally, if it was really that simply don’t we all wish action from the White House could always be that swift and solution oriented?

This website from the White House Historical Society takes you to several short video clips regarding the grounds of the White House. Look for links to additional videos at the bottom of the page.

Whip Inflation Now

On October 8th, 1974, new President Gerald Ford addressed Congress and the American people. He delivered a speech about America's number one enemy. The Soviets or Communism? Nope, he went after inflation.

Wikipedia notes, "Whip Inflation Now (WIN) was an attempt to spur a grassroots movement to combat inflation, by encouraging personal savings and disciplined spending habits in combination with public measures, urged by U.S. President Gerald Ford. People who supported the mandatory and voluntary measures were encouraged to wear 'WIN' buttons, perhaps in hope of evoking in peacetime the kind of solidarity and voluntarism symbolized by the V-campaign during World War II."

The campaign did not work as President Ford had hoped. Inflation remained a threat to the economy well into the Reagan Presidency. However, the pins were widely mocked and it gave Ford's opponents an easy target for criticism.

Here is part of the Whip Inflation Now speech:

My conclusions are very simply stated. There is only one point on which all advisers have agreed: We must whip inflation right now.

None of the remedies proposed, great or small, compulsory or voluntary, stands a chance unless they are combined in a considered package, in a concerted effort, in a grand design.

I have reviewed the past and the present efforts of our Federal Government to help the economy. They are simply not good enough, nor sufficiently broad, nor do they pack the punch that will turn America's economy on.

A stable American economy cannot be sustained if the world's economy is in chaos. International cooperation is absolutely essential and vital. But while we seek agreements with other nations, let us put our own economic house in order. Today, I have identified 10 areas for our joint action, the executive and the legislative branches of our Government.

Presidential Hobbies

I was actually looking up this topic when I found yesterday’s series. I think presidential hobbies make a fun little side topic for this week. There is a three part series (Parts I, II, and III) you can read about various presidential pastimes and I even found a matching game if you want to try your luck at knowing them! (You can take the quiz before or after, depending on how much you think you know).
Some interesting and unusual hobbies from the article:
Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) enjoyed a variety of activities, some very unique. Like other Presidents, Coolidge enjoyed golf, fishing and trap shooting (shooting at clay pigeons with a shotgun). For exercise, he rode a mechanical horse and pitched hay. Coolidge also exercised with Indian clubs, a form of exercise very popular earlier in our history. Indian clubs are basically elongated, heavy pins that resemble bowling pins. These pins would be swung in various patterns as a means of exercise.

Another unusual form of Presidential exercise was the medicine ball enjoyed by Herbert Hoover (1929-1933). This heavy ball would be used to play a strenuous game of catch as a means of building strength and endurance. Hoover often had his cabinet and advisors join him for an early morning game of medicine ball and then breakfast. They became known as the “medicine ball cabinet.”

Life after the White House

In honor of this week's opinion poll, I found a series of articles on Presidents after the White House (as a note, there are six parts to this series..I linked to the first one and you can access the rest from the sidebar menu).

For the sake of fairness, I decided to pull what this series had to say on each of our choices for this week and then one "extra" of my choosing. I linked each excerpt the part it came from.

Thomas Jefferson (Part I)
Thomas Jefferson accomplished more after retiring than most people do in their entire career. In addition to his renewed correspondence with John Adams and many others, he founded the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and served as its first rector, or president. Jefferson wanted to create a university “ based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind to explore and to expose every subject susceptible of its contemplation.” He designed the building, supervised the construction, hired the faculty and determined the curriculum. He also instituted the system of academic electives. The University of Virginia, called Mr. Jefferson’s University by the students and faculty, continues today as one of the finest institutions of higher learning in the country.

Ulysses Grant (Part III)
Ulysses S. Grant, hero of the Civil War, was elected President in the first post-war election. After serving two terms, he retired and spent two years touring the world, being received by enthusiastic crowds and heads of state all over the world. He settled in New York City and invested all his savings in the firm of Grant & Ward, in which his son was a partner. Ward proved to be a crook, and Grant lost all his money, leaving him almost penniless. To make a living, he wrote magazine articles that were so well received that he decided to write his memoirs. With the help of his publisher, Mark Twain, his memoirs were published and brought his wife a fortune. Unfortunately, Grant did not live to see his final success. He knew he was dying of throat cancer as he wrote the book, and finished just days before he died.

Herbert Hoover (Part V)
Herbert Hoover was elected by a landslide in 1928, and defeated for re-election by a landslide in 1932, due to the Great Depression, which began shortly after he took office. After attending the inauguration of his successor, he retired to his home in Palo Alto, California. Hoover was an “ex-President” longer than any other person in our history. In his later years, he lived mostly at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. He was a vocal critic of the New Deal of Franklin Roosevelt, calling most of its programs “fascistic.” He was especially critical of Roosevelt’s decisions to go off the gold standard, recognize the Soviet Union, and his attempt to “pack” the Supreme Court. He campaigned for Alf Landon, the Republican candidate opposing Roosevelt in 1936. In 1938, Hoover toured Europe and met with Adolf Hitler. He found Hitler “partly insane” but intelligent and well informed. Hoover opposed U.S. entry into World War II until the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the war, he served as chairman of the relief organizations for Poland, Finland, and Belgium, and opposed dropping the atomic bomb on Japan. After the war ended, President Truman appointed Hoover coordinator of the Food Supply for World Famine, a position he filled in 1946-1947. His most prominent service during his retirement was as chairman of the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government, popularly called the Hoover Commission, in 1947-1949, and of the Commission on Government Operations, called the second Hoover Commission, 1953-1955. The first commission made 273 recommendations for streamlining the government, roughly three-fourths of which were adopted. The second commission made 314 recommendations, about three-fourths of which were adopted. The most significant of these recommendations resulted in the combination of functions into new cabinet level Department of Defense and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Hoover opposed U.S. participation in the Korean War. Shortly before his death on October 20, 1964, he endorsed Barry Goldwater, the conservative Republican candidate for President. Among the books Hoover wrote during his retirement years were “The Challenge to Liberty” in 1934, “The Problems of Lasting Peace” in 1943, his “Memoirs” in 1952, “The Ordeal of Woodrow Wilson” in 1958, and the three-volume “An American Epic” in 1961.

Jimmy Carter (Part VI)
Jimmy Carter is considered by many to be the best ex-President we have ever had. Jimmy Carter became President after narrowly defeating Gerald Ford in the election of 1976. In 1980, Jimmy Carter was soundly defeated for re-election by Ronald Reagan. Carter retired to his home in Plains, Georgia, to find the family peanut farm deep in debt as a result of its handling in a blind trust during his Presidency. He put the family business back in order and taught political science at Emory University, founding the Carter Center of Emory University in 1982. In 1986, The Carter Presidential Center was completed in Atlanta. It included the Carter Center of Emory University and the Jimmy Carter Library.

Carter is best known for his humanitarian work with Habitat for Humanity. Carter personally helped to build houses in New York City and around the country. The sight of Carter in work clothes and tool belt became a familiar one to many Americans. Carter engaged in many other humanitarian efforts. In 1991, he founded the Atlanta Project to coordinate government and private efforts to solve social problems that affect poor families.

Carter also participated actively in international affairs. Since the 1980’s, he has helped monitor elections in a number of nations. In 1991, Carter created the International Negotiation Network Council. The council is made up of former heads of state and other prominent people willing to conduct peace negotiations or monitor elections. In 1991, the military leaders of Haiti overthrew the elected President of Haiti and seized control of the government. In 1994, Carter went to Haiti and led the negotiations that convinced the military leaders to allow the elected President to return to the country and finish his term in office. Also in 1994, Carter traveled to North Korea on a trip that reduced tensions between that country and the United States over North Korea’s suspected nuclear arms program.

Carter has written several books since leaving the White House, including “Keeping the Faith: Memoirs of a President (1982) and “Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life” (1987) which he wrote with his wife, Rosalynn. He regularly makes speaking appearances on behalf of humanitarian issues.

John Quincy Adams (my "extra" choice - Part I)
Probably the greatest ex-President of all times was John Quincy Adams. After his resounding defeat for re-election to the White House, he returned to his home in Quincy, Massachusetts. The next year, the people of Quincy asked him to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Adams agreed to run on two conditions: 1) that he never be expected to promote himself as a candidate and ask for votes and 2) that it be understood he would pursue a course in Congress independent of any party and the people who elected him. Under those terms, he was elected and held his seat in the House until he died in 1848, on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. After his first election to the House, he wrote in his diary, “I am a member-elect of the Twenty-Second Congress. No election or appointment conferred upon me ever gave me so much pleasure. My election as President of the United States was not half so gratifying to my inmost soul.” Having been during his long career a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican and National Republican parties, he was elected to the House as an Anti-Mason and later as a Whig.

As a member of the House of Representatives, John Quincy Adams often found himself in the minority on major issues. He supported the continuation of the Bank of the United States, opposed the annexation of Texas, and voted against the declaration of war with Mexico in 1846. His greatest victory was his successful struggle against the Gag Rule. In 1836, the House had voted to automatically table without debate any petition critical of slavery. Adams felt this violated the constitutional right of petition and fought against the rule for eight years. Finally, in 1844, the House voted to repeal the Gag Rule. During his long tenure in the House, Adams earned the nickname of Old Man Eloquent. He suffered a serious stroke in 1848, and was carried to the Speakers chambers, where he died several days later. John Quincy Adams remains the only President to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives after his term in the White House.

Suggestions for Polls

A few months back, I started adding polls to this blog dealing with the American Presidency. It has been fun and many people have voted. A few weeks ago, I ran out of ideas and did not post any polls. I now have a new one up and a few ideas for the future.

However, I have learned that this is hard! Coming up with good questions that people will also want to vote on is not easy. Jenny W. has sent me many suggestions and I appreciate it.

Which gets me thinking...

Do any of the readers of this blog have any suggestions for poll questions? Here are a few criteria:

1. The question must deal with an American President or the American Presidency.

2. The question can not be biased politically. A question like, "Which of President George W. Bush's decisions was the most idiotic?" is not going to fly.

3. The question must be interesting. Something like, "Which President had a mother-in-law with the most unique maiden name?" is also not good.

4. Any suggestions must have four to five possible answers.

Go ahead, post a comment with suggestions. I will be happy to use suitable questions and give you credit when the time comes.

First Lady Gold Coins

The US Mint has been releasing First Lady gold coins recently - you can get Abigail Adams, Martha Washington and Lady Liberty (representing Martha Jefferson, who, of course, was long dead by the time her husband was elected) so far. The Dolley Madison coin just debuted last week at the White House.


I mention this for two reasons. First of all, when I went to read the remarks and the debut, I saw the picture below. You'll see Cindy Frailly portraying Dolley Madison at the opening. She works at the National First Ladies Library in Canton and I actually know her - I never know anyone on this site personally so it made me very happy to be able to say I did!

Second, Mrs. Bush's remarks contained something interesting tidbits on Dolley's life I'll share here:
Mrs. Madison was a valuable political asset. At a time when Presidents were nominated or re-nominated by a party caucus in Congress, Dolley's popularity with legislators probably earned her husband his second term. She commanded so much respect that she even had the power to stop duels -- a popular method for settling political disputes back then -- and we thought the political climate was rough today. (Laughter.) When it came to making allies out of members of Congress, Dolley went above and beyond the call of duty -- even sharing a snuff box with Henry Clay.

Mrs. Madison also set the tone for our new nation with her impeccable taste and style. Previous First Families had decorated their new residence in Washington with personal furnishings brought with them from Massachusetts and Virginia. James Madison tasked Dolley with re-creating the White House as the official home for America -- a duty that would shape the public's image of his presidency, and our nation.

Mrs. Madison enlisted the help of famed architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, and secured from Congress initial funding of $5,000. According to accounts from the time, Latrobe and Mrs. Madison spent their redecorating budget so fast "it made heads spin."

Latrobe and Mrs. Madison took their redecorating seriously. They strove to blend Republican simplicity with Federalist high style, adding enough sophistication to impress visitors from Europe. As we enjoy the tradition of elegant public entertaining at the White House, we have Latrobe and Mrs. Madison to thank.

That's not to say that they agreed on everything: When Mrs. Madison insisted on rich, red velvet draperies for what is now the Blue Room -- then decorated in muted cream, blue and gray - Latrobe was horrified. "The curtains!" Latrobe lamented, "Oh, the terrible velvet curtains! Their effect will ruin me entirely, so brilliant will they be!" Eventually, Latrobe dropped the complaint after rave reviews from visitors proved Mrs. Madison right.

Those red curtains were one of the things Mrs. Madison made sure to save when the British invaded Washington and torched the executive mansion during the War of 1812. In a few minutes, we'll hear more about Mrs. Madison's heroism -- and the famous story of how she rescued her beloved Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington, which of course is still here today in the East Room. This portrait was only 14 years old when she saved it, so it was a new, modern portrait.

Mrs. Madison's bravery in the face of British troops earned her the love and respect of her fellow citizens -- and a permanent place in American history. At the end of her career in our nation's capital, Daniel Webster wrote that Dolley Madison is "the only permanent power in Washington -- all others are transient." (Laughter.)