Inside the White House Historical Association’s 60th Anniversary Celebration

Last night, the nation's capital came to Manhattan. Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a projection of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue flickered across from the Temple of Dendur. Guests poured into the candle-lit space to celebrate the White House Historical Association's 60th anniversary.

The project, launched by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961, transformed the president's residence into a world-class museum, capable of educating Americans about its past and inspiring them to dream of its future. 

Mrs. Kennedy's most recent successor, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and her daughter, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, took part in the festivities. Al Roker, with his characteristic wit and candor, served as emcee for a night of spectacular music and riveting speeches. 

Dr. Biden, dressed in patriotic scarlet, spoke of residing in the White House. In a position held officially by only 43 women before her, Biden described the great honor, humility, and responsibility that comes with living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 

"Tonight, we celebrate the foundation of this organization, the legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy," Biden said to the audience. "Thank you for your dedication to education and to honoring the nation's history."

The remarkable times have called for changes in how history is told and connections are made. "Because most Americans have been unable to visit the White House because of the pandemic," Biden said. "I've tried to bring the White House to them. I've traveled to almost forty states in less than a year… in small-town coffee shops and in stunning museums, honoring what makes our country special." 

Mrs. Kennedy's elegance and—as her daughter cheekily noted, elitism—led her to create a space that reflected the country and its principles. Through a historic renovation and an unprecedented televised tour, Kennedy let the light into what was formerly a building unseen by most citizens.  

To bursts of laughter, Ambassador Kennedy recalled her then 31-year-old mother's reaction to moving into White House "'The most terrible thing has happened,' she wrote to her friend Bunny Mellon the day after the election. 'Jack has won. We have to move into the White House. How dreary. All those curtains.'"

The result of her efforts―a privately funded, apolitical nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the White House―provided the American people an essential symbol. Through the six turbulent and triumphant decades that followed, Association continues to fulfill her vision and keep her vow to the American people.