White House Social Secretary

Last updated
White House Social Secretary
US-WhiteHouse-Logo.svg
Carlos Elizondo.jpg
Incumbent
Carlos Elizondo
since January 20, 2021
Executive Office of the President
White House Office
Appointer Joe Biden
as President of the United States
FormationOctober 2, 1901;122 years ago (1901-10-02)
First holder Belle Hagner
Website The White House

The White House social secretary is responsible for the planning, coordination, and execution of official social events at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States.

Contents

Function

The social secretary is head of the White House Social Office, located in the East Wing of the White House Complex. The social secretary plans events ranging from those as simple as a tea for the first lady and a single official guest to dinners for more than 200 guests. The social secretary works with the White House chief usher to coordinate domestic staff and with the chief of protocol of the United States, an official within the United States Department of State, to plan state visits and accompanying state dinners. The social secretary works with the White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office in the production of invitations to social events.

The social secretary works on both the political and non-political functions of the presidency, coordinating events for the president, the first lady, and senior political staff. The White House social secretary serves at the president's pleasure and is appointed by each administration.

Notable office-holders

On February 25, 2011, the White House appointed Jeremy Bernard, the first male, and first openly gay, social secretary in that position's history. "I have long admired the arts and education programs that have become hallmarks of the Obama White House and I am eager to continue these efforts in the years ahead," Bernard said during the announcing press conference. [1] [2] [3]

Betty Ford with former Social Secretaries Photograph of First Lady Betty Ford Posing with Sanford Fox, Former Chief of White House Social Entertainment, and Past and Present Press and Social Secretaries to the First Lady - NARA - 186790.gif
Betty Ford with former Social Secretaries

List of White House social secretaries

No.ImageSocial SecretaryTerm of officePresident
1 HAGNER, MISS BELLE LCCN2016866602 (cropped).jpg Belle Hagner [4] 1901–1909 Theodore Roosevelt
2 No image wide.svg Alice Blech [5] 1909–1910 William Howard Taft
3 No image wide.svg Mary Spiers [6] 1910–1913
4 HAGNER, MISS BELLE LCCN2016866602 (cropped).jpg Belle Hagner [7] 1913–1915 Woodrow Wilson
5 Edith Helm (cropped).jpg Edith Benham Helm [8] 1915–1921
6 Miss Laura Harlan LOC npcc.04320 (cropped).jpg Laura Harlan [9] 1921–1923 Warren G. Harding
1923–1929 [9] Calvin Coolidge
7 No image wide.svg Mary Randolph [10] 1929–1931 Herbert Hoover
8 No image wide.svg Doris Goss [11] 1931–1933
9 Edith Helm (cropped).jpg Edith Benham Helm [8] 1933–1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt
1945–1953 [8] Harry S. Truman
10 Mary Jane McCaffree (cropped).tif Mary Jane McCaffree [12] 1955–1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower
11 Letitia Baldrige.jpg Letitia Baldrige [13] 1961–1963 John F. Kennedy
12 Nancy Tuckerman White House Official Portrait 1963 (cropped).jpg Nancy Tuckerman [14] 1963–1963
13 Bess Abell LBJ Library (32565920781) (cropped).jpg Bess Abell [15] [16] 1963–1969 Lyndon B. Johnson
14 Nixon Contact Sheet WHPO-2592 (cropped).jpg Lucy Winchester [17] 1969–1974 Richard Nixon
15 Nancy Lammerding Ruwe (cropped).tif Nancy Lammerding Ruwe [18] 1974–1975 Gerald Ford
16 Maria Downs (cropped).jpg Maria Downs [19] 1975–1977
17 No image wide.svg Gretchen Poston [20] 1977–1981 Jimmy Carter
18 No image wide.svg Mabel (Muffie) Brandon [21] 1981–1983 Ronald Reagan
19 Gahl Hodges (cropped).jpg Gahl Hodges [22] 1983–1985
20 No image wide.svg Linda Faulkner [23] 1985–1989
21 No image wide.svg Laurie Firestone [24] 1989–1993 George H. W. Bush
22 AnnStock.jpg Ann Stock [25] 1993–1997 Bill Clinton
23 Capricia Marshall.jpg Capricia Marshall [26] 1997–2001
24 No image wide.svg Catherine Fenton [27] 2001–2004 George W. Bush
25 Lea Berman DIG14214-012.jpg Lea Berman [28] 2005–2007
26 No image wide.svg Amy Zantzinger [29] 2007–2009
27 Desiree Rogers (cropped).jpg Desirée Rogers [30] 2009–2010 Barack Obama
28 Julianna Smoot (cropped).jpg Julianna Smoot [31] 2010–2011
29 Jeremy Bernard.jpg Jeremy Bernard [32] 2011–2015
30 Deesha Dyer in the Green Room of the White House (cropped).jpg Deesha Dyer [33] 2015–2017
31 No image wide.svg Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd [34] 2017–2021 [35] Donald Trump
32 Carlos Elizondo.jpg Carlos Elizondo [36] 2021–present Joe Biden

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References

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Further reading