Learn about the Oval Office
It was an October day in 1909 when then President William Howard Taft stepped into his newly constructed office in the center of the West Wing of the White House. President Roosevelt’s office had been rectangular, but when Taft moved the office, he requested that it be in an oval shape. Thus the famous Oval Office was born.
Oval shaped rooms were not new. George Washington had circular rooms in which he would greet guests. If Washington stood in the center and his guests gathered around him, then everyone would be equally close to him. In this way, rooms of this shape came to be a symbol of democracy as everyone was an equal distance away from the President. Another room in the White House, The Blue Room, which is used to greet guests, is also an oval shape.
The Oval Office was originally located in the center of the West Wing, but it was moved to the southeast corner after a fire in 1929. As the President works, holds press conferences or greets guests, he can look out the window and see the Rose Garden.
Since this is his working office, each President is able to decorate the office in a way that suits his individual tastes and style. What has not changed since 1909 is the white marble mantel and the Presidential Seal in the ceiling. There is also another famous fixture in the Oval Office.
The Resolute Desk is a very well known piece of furniture. The desk was carved from wood taken from the H.M.S. Resolute, a British ship. The desk was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes.
While some Presidents had some minor modifications made to the desk over the years, it has remained largely unchanged. With only three exceptions – Nixon, Johnson and Ford - the desk has been used by every President since Hayes. The desk is so famous that it was recently featured prominently in a major Hollywood film, National Treasure 2.
Some of the most memorable moments in history took place in the Oval Office. It is the room where the President meets with staff, greets heads of state and other important visitors and makes some of the decisions that impact all Americans.
It was from this room that President George W. Bush delivered a speech to the American people on September 11, 2001. As well as being the backdrop for some touching moments in history, the Oval Office was also the setting for some infamous Presidential moments, such as those that took place during the alleged scandals of the Clinton presidency.
One of the most well-known photos of any President was taken inside the Oval Office. As President John F. Kennedy sat behind the Resolute Desk chatting on the phone, a toddler aged John F. Kennedy, Jr. peeked out from underneath the desk.
While the Oval Office is not included on the White House tour, virtual tours are available online where the room can be explored in detail. Stop by soon for a virtual tour of the most famous office in American history.
