![]() ![]() I got more involved when it came to official events. In the words of a staffer who worked at the White House from 1891 to 1933, an usher “carries a figurative oil can with which to lubricate all frictions.” Katie Hinson, deputy chief usher, spends her days tending to the family’s needs. Sometimes you just want a hamburger-or if you’re George, a hot dog. She can certainly cook incredibly fancy meals, but you don’t want to have filet mignon every day. I chose Cris Comerford to be our head chef-she’s still there. The chefs came up with our daily menus and they knew what we liked. The usher’s office did that, and they were all so good at what they did. I didn’t need to do much to manage the staff. You can imagine what Barbara Bush thought about two 7-year-old girls doing this! She rushed down to the bowling alley and told them, “This is not a hotel! This is a home. ![]() They were playing in the bowling alley and decided to pick up the phone to order food. Barbara and Jenna learned that early on, when their grandfather had just become president. ![]() We were always careful not to take advantage of the staff’s dedication. Ronald Smith, underground at the White House, is one of the engineers tasked with maintaining proper temperature and humidity at all times-not just to keep the residents comfortable but to protect the house itself from damage. His father smiled and said, “You’ll get used to it.” George insisted he didn’t need help getting dressed and undressed. George was shocked at first when two men, Sam Sutton and Fidel Medina, introduced themselves to him as his personal valets. The people on staff will do just about anything to make you comfortable. All the other men and women shown in this article, who were photographed during my husband’s presidency, are still working at the White House. The doorman who greeted us each morning, Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, served 11 presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama. Many people don’t realize that members of the White House staff often stay for decades. When Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2007, the menu included Dover sole and lamb with local vegetables. On a given day, executive chef Cristeta Comerford, who joined the White House staff in 1995, might be preparing burgers for the family or an elaborate dinner for heads of state. Nineteen years later, Nancy was the florist for Jenna’s wedding. She helped them each make a bouquet for their grandparents’ new bedside tables. When little Barbara and Jenna showed up that day, the place was still a whirlwind, so Nancy Clark, the White House florist, met them at the door and took them down to the floral shop in the basement. Housekeepers such as Benjamin Morrow arrange and clean both public and private rooms while protecting priceless items-from the Monroes’ French chairs to the bed where Willie Lincoln died. This article is a selection from the November issue of Smithsonian magazine Buy Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine now for just $12 ![]()
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