57 pages • 1 hour read
Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
In Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies, J. B. West, with Mary Lynn Kotz, recounts his years from 1941 to 1969 as an usher and chief usher at the White House. In so doing, he demonstrates The Important Role of Behind-the-Scenes Workers and emphasizes The Contribution of First Ladies to the Presidency. Given his role in the White House, which gave him access to its inner workings and first families, West had the experience to contribute this memoir to the literature on first ladies. An author and journalist based in Washington, DC, Kotz had the literary skill to help shape and prepare the narrative. Published in 1973, the book became a New York Times bestseller.
All quotations and references are from the 2016 Open Road paperback edition.
Summary
On his first day of work as a White House usher on March 1, 1941, West was struck by the constant activity in the White House usher’s office. Assigned responsibility for Eleanor Roosevelt’s travel arrangements, West explains how much work that entailed given her busy schedule. Constantly in motion with several projects ongoing, Eleanor additionally served as her husband’s source of intelligence about elite and popular opinion.
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