The Oval Office has been the main office for the president since President William Howard Taft began working in it in October 1909. After his inauguration, President Taft held a competition to select an architect to enlarge and make permanent the West Wing's "temporary" Executive office built during Theodore Roosevelt's administration.

Collection Preservation of the White House. In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the White House Historical Association to enhance the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of …

For more than a century, the president's office has been located in the Oval Office of the West Wing, but this was not always the case. Whether the president is addressing the nation, signing legislation, discussing issues with cabinet members, or meeting with leaders of the world, the White House provides an important and symbolic setting.

Taft’s Oval Office was used by his successors until Franklin D. Roosevelt, who oversaw yet another renovation and expansion of the West Wing in 1934. As part of that renovation, Roosevelt moved the Oval Office to its current location in the southeast corner of the West Wing, overlooking the Rose Garden.

Collection Preservation of the White House. In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the White House Historical Association to enhance the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of …

The desk was first used in the Oval Office during the presidency of John F. Kennedy. When President Lyndon B. Johnson selected another desk for the Oval Office, the Resolute Desk became part of a traveling exhibition and then went on to the Smithsonian, where it was displayed from 1966 to 1977.

Press Release NEW Episode: The White House 1600 Sessions Podcast “Painting White House History” The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today about the Association’s specially commissioned paintings reflecting the history of the White House and its residents throughout different periods.

As President Roosevelt regularly used a wheelchair, the repositioning of the Oval Office allowed for easier access to the Residence. President Roosevelt in the Oval Office with his numerous projects and responsibilities. Not only did President Roosevelt expand the West Wing, but he also added an East Wing after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Oct 5, 2018 · In turn, he placed the new presidential seal above the doorway of the Blue Room, a symbolic reminder that the White House is both the people’s house and the President’s House. Today, the presidential seal goes wherever the president goes; whether in the Oval Office, on Air Force One or in limousines, on podiums or on stages. The history of ...

Jun 9, 2021 · This photograph of the Oval Office during the Joseph R. Biden administration was taken on June 9, 2021 by Bruce White. Before 1909, the president's office was located in the Executive Mansion. During the William H. Taft administration, the West Wing doubled in size from the 1902 renovation and included a presidential oval office.