By Lenore Vickrey
Alabama native Stewart McLaurin came back to his home state in December to continue the mission of the White House Historical Association, the non-profit where he is president, and educate his fellow Alabamians about the latest White House Christmas ornament and other projects.ย
On his three-day swing through the state, McLaurin did a book-signing in Tuscaloosa and spoke to political science students at his alma mater, the University of Alabama; addressed the Antiquarian Society in Birmingham; and gave a talk on the newest ornament, which celebrates 150 years of White House state dinners, at an afternoon tea at the Governorโs Mansion. We caught up with him to learn more about the associationโs accomplishments since we last visited seven years ago (โPreserving White House History,โ Alabama Living, December 2018).
Whatโs special about this yearโs White House Christmas Ornament?
There have been 16 services of White House state china, including the two on this yearโs ornament: the red-rimmed Reagan china and the gold-rimmed Clinton china which is on the back side. They are two of the most recent services, they are beautiful and iconic, and still are the most used today. Since Reagan, we have had enough china to have a state dinner of up to 200 people.
Not every president has a china pattern. Traditionally, itโs selected in the second term. Out of our 45 presidents and 47 presidencies, there have been 16.
Does the current First Lady have one?ย
No. The Bidens did not have one. The Obamas did.
Has interest in collecting the White House ornaments grown over the years?
Yes, itโs an amazing story. They were started in 1981 by Mrs. Reagan. I often joke that if I had been in the room and someone had suggested letโs make a Christmas ornament for the White House Historical Association, I would have said, โSure, bye.โ But had that not been done and been successful, we would not be who we are today. For a long time it was really the primary source of our support. Now we have traditional philanthropy. All these years since 1981, they have been made by a veteran-founded small business in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Itโs such a wonderful story. And each year we use the ornament to tell a different story about the White House.
The White House itself has been in the news because of the demolition of the East Wing to make way for a ballroom. Can you speak to that?
The White House is a building that has evolved with time. There has been a need for a larger state dining venue in the complex. The state dining room seats 124 people. The kitchen is on another floor so food has to come up by dumb waiter. Thereโs not even a bathroom on the state floor. Recent presidents have put up a large tent on the South Lawn. Theyโre beautiful but you feel like youโre at a big wedding. So itโs nice to have a ballroom. Could it have been done in a different location or not (required) having torn down the East Wing, or (made a) different size? Yes. But those are the prerogatives of the President and the federal government. The government takes care of the building. Weโre concerned about the stories and the history of what takes place in the buildings, whatever they are.
So when we learned that the East Wing was going to be torn down, I had about 48 hoursโ notice to contract with a 3-D digital printer consultant and they came in and did the most technologically enhanced, state of the art, 3-D scanning of the entire East Wing. If there was a cobweb in the corner, it captured that cobweb. If the technology and resources existed, we could 3-D print that whole building again.
Does that replace the East Wing? No. Does that make it easier for people who worked in that building and take it personally and feel the emotional loss? No. Itโs our role to capture that history, and thatโs one way of doing that. Another way was, we were able to embed a photographer in the tearing down of that building, so now I have about 13,000 images of things that no living White House staff person knew were even there. They took up the floor and were able to see the earlier floors. They took down the wall of the family theater and found paintings of presidential seals from the Eisenhower presidency that were behind there. So thatโs our role: To teach and to tell the history of these stories, these people whoโve lived in the White House, worked in the White House and who occupied these spaces over time, whatever those spaces may have been.
Whatโs been the rection to the new venture, The Peopleโs House (an immersive, free educational museum within walking distance of the actual White House)? Was that your idea?
The Peopleโs House opened Sept. 24, 2024. We had 275,000 visitors our first year, more than any of the presidential libraries around the country. The idea started when we were thinking of ways we could have a public-facing space to tell our stories and teach our history, once Covid was over. One day I was driving to work up 17th Street and I saw this building that was available at 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue. It was providential. Our board was incredibly supportive and allowed us to raise the money while we were building, so we were able to do the whole thing in 20 months, from idea to completion. We opened two months before the
2024 election.
Youโve been at this job for 12 years now (13 years in May 2026). Whatโs been your proudest accomplishment?
The fact that weโve been able to accomplish in growing our educational mission and its reach and impact, in putting together a really phenomenal team of professionals, and being able to do this while the nation has changed from Obama, to Trump, to Biden, to Trump. Our role stays the same, our mission stays the same. Weโve been able to stay pure to our mission and weโve had an excellent relationship with each of these presidents and first ladies. Weโre there to do what we do for the American people.
Iโm really proud that weโve been able to maintain that vision Mrs. Kennedy put in place (Jacqueline Kennedy started the White House Historical Association in 1961). I think sheโd probably be shocked that weโve grown and weโve done what weโve done.
Did you ever get to meet her?
I did not. Itโs one of the key regrets of my career. Although the greatest compliment Iโve ever received was when Caroline Kennedy, her daughter, came to one of our events and said, โI only wish my mother had had the opportunity to work with you because you move at her speed.โ I took that as a compliment.
For more information or to order the White House ornament, visit whitehousehistory.org. Stewart McLaurinโs behind-the-scenes podcasts, The White House 1600 Sessions, are available at the same website and on YouTube.
