Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies

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. Because President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s paralysis was hidden from the public, West was surprised by it upon meeting him. Eleanor, therefore, traveled for him and reported back in an age before accurate polling. Whether attributable to The Impact of Public Scrutiny on the Life of the First Family or not, the Roosevelts did not spend much time together as a couple. However, when the president died, Eleanor requested time alone with his body.

While the Roosevelts hailed from the upper class, the Trumans did not. They were a modest and close-knit family and asked little of the staff. On a nightly basis, President Harrison “Harry” Truman and his wife Elizabeth “Bess” Truman met for two hours to go over political strategy. Although not known to the public, Bess was the president’s closest advisor. During President Truman’s tenure, it was discovered that the White House was falling apart. Convincing Congress to gut it internally but retain its external structure, President Truman spent much of his tenure at Blair House during the reconstruction. It was there that an attempt was made on the president’s life, forever changing the freedom of movement for first families.

In contrast to the Trumans, the Eisenhowers enjoyed formal entertaining. Given a background in elite military circles, Dwight and Mary “Mamie” Eisenhower adhered to a division of labor and chain of command. While Mamie was affectionate and warm, she took full control of domestic affairs in the White House and proved to be an extraordinary hostess for the many state dinners and receptions. She treated the White House as hers and ensured that it was kept in pristine condition. The couple enjoyed visits from their grandchildren and named the presidential retreat Camp David after one grandchild. When President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack, Mamie kept the staff updated on his condition while remaining by his side. West notes that Mamie was the last first lady born in the 19th century and the first to exit in the Space Age. With television, air conditioning, and airplanes, Washington, DC, was a changed city. Previously, all had abandoned it during the summer, but the advancements made it now a year-round city. Additionally, the White House staff had grown significantly by 1960, enhancing the role of chief usher, to which West was promoted in 1957.

Portrayed in public as aloof and glamorous, Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy was very different in private. She was happiest playing with her children and could be warm, funny, and irreverent. Feeling The Impact of Public Scrutiny on the Life of the First Family, Jackie guarded her and her young children’s privacy. She subjected the staff to a formal review and put their talents to the best use. With the goal of transforming the White House into a museum, she launched, presided over, and found a way to fund a restoration project. It was a resounding success and provided West with the most creative and rewarding work during his time at the White House. She was devoted to her husband and shared intimate afternoons with him. After President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Jackie requested that West decorate the White House as it was in the aftermath of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Although it took great effort, the staff did so.

Of all the presidents under whom West served, Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) demanded the most of the staff but nonetheless elicited profound loyalty. For example, he transacted governmental business in all parts of the White House, including the swimming pool, insisted on the halls remaining dark at night, and required a herculean effort on the part of staff to install an acceptable shower head. His wife, Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, transformed the role of first lady. Delegating the detailed planning of White House events to her social secretary, she acted more as a corporate executive in a supervisory capacity. While she completed Jackie Kennedy’s restoration project, she launched her own beautification initiative, which was a precursor to the environmental movement of the 1970s and won her national acclaim. Both of the Johnson’s daughters married during their time in the White House, making their weddings public spectacles. As the Vietnam War became more and more unpopular, the president became increasingly isolated and declined to run for re-election in 1968. West observes that it was the most drastic change in political fortunes in his career at the White House, as the president was initially very popular and won in a landslide in 1964.

Given his retirement in March of 1969, West had little time with the Nixons. Yet he noted Patricia “Pat” Nixon’s similarity to the other first ladies under whom he served. She guarded her privacy but was willing to accept her role on public display, as the others had done. She, too, was willing to make a significant contribution to the presidency and public service, as her predecessors had done. Throughout his narrative, West explains that the key to longevity in the White House was a dedication to the institution and not the current occupants of the building. Those who retained lingering loyalties to past occupants typically lost their jobs. He clearly respected and admired all the first ladies under whom he served.