Roosevelt House

Roosevelt House

The Residence of the U.S. Ambassador to India

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he dominant feature of the reception room, the stairway curves upward from the forepart of the front entrance.

The handrail of the circular staircase was extended down and around the small decorative fountain at its foot a few years after the dedication of the house in 1963, as people used to inadvertently walk into

Courtesy Architectural Digest

the pool.

Right: All the signature concrete grills of Roosevelt House were cast on the site. The pattern is similar to the grillwork on the adjacent U.S. Embassy building.

Introduction (“A Special Home�) by Michael Gallant Design by Hemant Bhatnagar Text and editing by Deepanjali Kakati Cover photograph courtesy Architectural Digest All photographs without credits are from the U.S. Embassy archives.

Archival photo research by Anjana Sharma.

Courtesy Architectural Digest

The facades of the square white residence have tall stately columns. Hanging planters/lamps—huge, circular brass bowls that are 5 feet 4 inches in diameter—are suspended at intervals along the verandah.

A Special Home

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or more than 50 years, the large, off-white building on Shantipath in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, has housed the American ambassador to India—but with its soaring gold columns, strikingly patterned grillwork and rich legacy, Roosevelt House is far more than a residence for a diplomat.

Rather, in form and function, architecture and craftsmanship, it stands as a concrete-and-metal manifestation of hard-won brotherhood, forged over decades, between two great nations.

Right and below: The construction of Roosevelt House began on February 11, 1961, and the building was completed by nearly 450 Indian workmen in 18 months.

Right center: Indian builder Sardar Mohan Singh (from left); Edward Durell Stone, architect of the American Embassy building and Roosevelt House; and U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Benson E.L. Timmons at the opening of the Embassy building in 1959.

Far right: A report published in American Reporter in December 1958.

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Roosevelt House is the creation of Edward Durell Stone, the renowned American architect who also designed the similarly monumental Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. It is evident that Roosevelt House, in fact, inspired the creation of the Kennedy Center, which looks remarkably similar to the ambassadorial residence. When First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of President John F. Kennedy, visited New Delhi in 1962, she was so taken by Stone’s work throughout the embassy complex that she chose him to design the building that would bear her husband’s name.

Roosevelt House sits within a 28-acre enclave that was designated for American diplomatic use in the 1950’s. The area currently houses the ambassadorial residence, the larger Chancery

building (designed by Stone as well), and additional office and residential structures. Earl Warren, former Chief Justice of the United States, laid the embassy’s cornerstone on September 1, 1956, wishing for it a future as a “temple of peace.”

Roosevelt House itself would indeed grow into a temple in its own right—one heralded for its beauty and creativity in design.

One of Roosevelt House’s most distinctive features is its unique grillwork, built from individually-cast and hand-polished concrete bricks.

Other materials include stone sourced from Dholpur, Agra and Kota, as well as Makrana marble. Built by nearly 450 workers over a span of 18 months, Roosevelt House reflects a true alchemy of American and Indian craftsmanship and construction; a like-minded State Department

F Delventhal/Flickr

Architect Edward Durell Stone based his final design of the Chancery building upon this roughly-drawn sketch on an envelope (left), which was rescued from a wastepaper basket. Matching the Embassy building in appearance, the U.S. Ambassador’s residence was designed by Stone to blend some of the finest features of Indian and American architecture. The rectilinear U.S. Embassy building was a precursor to Stone’s design of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (right and far right).

Brandon Nedwek/Flickr

Right: Ambassador John K. Galbraith and Catherine Galbraith participate in a bhangra dance at Roosevelt House, during a party to honor the Indian workers who helped build the Ambassador’s residence, in October 1962.

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policy of combining indigenous resources with American efforts in embassy construction continues to this day.

The first to call Roosevelt House home was John Kenneth Galbraith, American ambassador to India under President John F. Kennedy. In April 1963, Time magazine reported that, despite its beauty, the house had a number of quirks that Ambassador Galbraith and his family had discovered. The article states that the open architecture of the residence afforded little sound separation for private conversations and, during a visit by Under Secretary of State W. Averell Harriman, the Galbraiths’ Siamese cat Ahmed snuck into the guest’s bed via a gap between the door and grillwork. The article also stated that “Fascinated by the scalability of his walls, Galbraith and his sons themselves have taken to climbing like so many human flies.”

Idiosyncrasies aside, Stone’s clean and powerful lines, choices of materials and patterns, and allaround elegance of design earned the embassy complex widespread accolades, including from legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who called it one of the finest buildings in the last hundred years.

In the book, “The Evolution of an Architect,” Stone wrote, “I could scarcely believe my ears when [Wright] said, ‘Ed, that’s a perfectly beautiful building. If I were doing it I’d do it in the same way.’”

“We think it a handsome building that does some credit to your capital,” stated Ambassador Galbraith during his remarks at Roosevelt House’s dedication

ceremony in January 1963. The guests included President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Vice President Zakir Husain and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

“You, Mr. Prime Minister, if I may on this occasion betray a private conversation, once told me that while you greatly admired these buildings by Mr. Stone—the Chancery, the apartments, this house— you wondered if they were very practical. I urged, in reply, that utility and economy are the enemies of good architecture. And, certainly, no builder is ever remembered for practicing these traits.”

“A simple stone crypt would have quite decently

Right: A news report from the Press Trust of India, dated January 29, 1963, on the dedication of Roosevelt House.

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n keeping with the U.S. State Department policy of making use of indigenous resources as far as possible, Roosevelt House was constructed mostly with Indian labor and material.

Above: Guests at the dedication of Roosevelt House on January 29, 1963. Over 700 guests attended the ceremony. The highlight of the event was a performance by the Robert Joffrey Ballet.

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An aerial view of the U.S. Embassy area in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, in the 1960’s. The photograph shows Roosevelt House, the Embassy’s Chancery building, housing for staff and the American Embassy school.

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et the Roosevelt House in New Delhi become the permanent symbol of the passion for human welfare which will forever unite the people of America —President John F. Kennedy and the people of India.

independence. And though the building has long contained a bust of the 32nd American president, it has come to also honor other American political figures of the same family name. Ambassador Kenneth B. Keating installed a bust of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th American president, while Nancy J. Powell, the first female U.S. ambassador to live in Roosevelt House, added one of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The wife of Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt earned a place in history in her own right, serving as the first chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, among other accomplishments.

At the official dedication of Roosevelt House in 1963, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Phillips Talbot recited the words of President John F. Kennedy: Courtesy Architectural Digest

housed all that was mortal of Mumtaz Mahal at the cost of a few hundred rupees,” he continued.

“Had he insisted on utility and economy, Shah Jahan would thus have been forgotten and so also his wife. Fortunately, in that reign the practical men were in abeyance.”

Though Roosevelt House may be one of the most visible monuments to American and Indian partnership, the political undercurrents leading to its construction began years before the first foundations were laid. The United States was the first country to exchange ambassadors with independent India. American recognition of India as an independent state came on August 14, 1947, via telegram from President Harry S. Truman wishing Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru a future in which India “will take its place at the forefront of the nations of the world in the struggle to fashion a world society founded in mutual trust and respect.”

Roosevelt House was named for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in recognition of his support for India’s journey toward

Above: The busts of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (from left), Eleanor Roosevelt and President Theodore Roosevelt at the Ambassador’s residence.

“I can imagine no more appropriate name for our new Embassy residence, both because the freedom and grace of Mr. Stone’s design recall so well the gallant spirit of Franklin Roosevelt, and because Franklin Roosevelt himself had such long and deep sympathy for the Indian people and the Indian nation.... Let The Roosevelt House in New Delhi become the permanent symbol of the passion for human welfare which will forever unite the people of America and the people of India.”

Henry F. Grady, the first U.S. Ambassador to India (1947-1948).

K. Asaf Ali, the first Indian Ambassador to the United States (1947-1948).

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Roosevelt House has indeed become a meeting place of nations, hosting a huge assortment of events and guests since its inception. In recent years alone, visitors have included President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama; Secretaries of State John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice; Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush; and Vice President George H.W. Bush. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as well as President Zakir Husain are among the major Indian figures to have visited. President Pranab Mukherjee attended the U.S. Independence Day celebration in 2008, when he was External Affairs Minister.

Roosevelt House’s guest list has included not just politicians, but astronauts and artists, scientists and writers—and beyond. Notable events include a dinner for superstar sitar player Ravi Shankar, a reception for gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson, and an exhibition of paintings for award-winning artist and filmmaker Maqbool Fida Husain, among other guests. Other prominent visitors have included John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth; Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to enter outer space; writer and civil rights giant Coretta Scott King; and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Subramanyan Chandrasekhar.

Lush harmonies have often filled the Roosevelt House’s high-ceilinged rooms, thanks to performances by musicians ranging from the Yale University Whiffenpoofs a cappella group to American fusion clarinetist Shankar Tucker and musician brothers Amaan and Ayaan Ali

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Khan together with their father Amjad Ali Khan. One of the unique performances to be witnessed within the residence came courtesy of David Grant, an English teacher from Massachusetts.

Grant performed as Mark Twain, retracing Twain’s steps from the influential writer’s 1896 lecture tour of India and delivering Twain’s remarks, word for word, in full costume and makeup.

American-Indian cultural exchange was also front and center during a 1968 exhibit in memory of Ruth Reeves.

The American painter and textile designer devoted her career to studying Indian crafts and traditions, serving on the All India Handicrafts Board before her death in 1966.

The collaborations celebrated at Roosevelt House extend to the world of conservation as well. In 2011, Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer hosted a reception in honor of joint American and Indian efforts to guard India’s tiger population against poaching and other risks.

“The U.S. and India are working together to preserve and protect the tiger, an iconic symbol of India and one of India’s most precious resources,” the ambassador said.

The list goes on, from baseball-themed presentations to receptions for young Indian

Above: Professor Frank Freidel from Harvard University delivers a talk on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s role in American history at the dedication ceremony of Roosevelt House in January 1963.

Above: Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Phillips Talbot (from left), Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Ambassador John K. Galbraith, Catherine Galbraith and President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan at the dedication ceremony.

Left: Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (second from left), Catherine Galbraith, President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Ambassador John K. Galbraith and Indira Gandhi at the ceremony.

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Right: Diwali celebration at Roosevelt House in October 1967.

political leaders and even an improvised raga music performance, executed by American flutist and Fulbright scholar Lyon Leifer.

Ambassadors have made Roosevelt House a true nexus of artistic disciplines and cultural currents—celebrating wedding anniversaries, dancing to bhangra in honor of local construction workers, and joyfully welcoming holidays ranging from Diwali to Halloween within its walls.

Roosevelt House has not only housed ambassadors and hosted luminaries from around the world, but has also displayed a stunning array of international visual art, from antique Kashmiri shawls to paintings by the

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likes of Roy Lichtenstein and Charles Clough, French tapestries to an historical portrait of George Washington. While much of the art is provided on loan via the United States’ Art in Embassies program, every ambassadorial family to occupy Roosevelt House brings its own collection as well, ensuring that the beauty of the structure continues to evolve, from the inside out, with each new resident.

An architectural triumph without and a nurturing home for diplomacy, community and the arts within, Roosevelt House has indeed fulfilled Justice Warren’s wish for the American embassy to serve as a “temple of peace”—and will continue to do so for generations to come.

Above: The entire central half of the building is taken up by the massive reception room, which is two stories high.

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Above right: Catherine Galbraith and Ambassador John K. Galbraith at Roosevelt House.

Right: The Galbraiths celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in September 1962.

oosevelt House reflects a true alchemy of American and Indian craftsmanship and construction.

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Above: Ambassador John K. Galbraith in his study at Roosevelt House.

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Roosevelt House was built in 1961-62. A companion to the American Embassy’s Chancery building, it uses some of the same architectural motifs,

notably the grillwork screens. The newly-built Ambassador’s residence was opened for special public showings from November 5 to November 7, 1962.

Below: Accommodations for the domestic staff of Roosevelt House in the 1960’s.

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Below, below right and bottom right: Diwali mela in October 1967.

Right: American flutist Lyon Leifer performs at Roosevelt House in July 1966. Pursuing an interest in improvised raga music and flute playing in India, he accepted a Fulbright grant in 1965 to study with Devendra Murdeshwar.

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oosevelt House has been used for public receptions, large dinner parties, cultural performances and even high school dances.

Below and below left: An exhibit in the memory of American painter and textile designer Ruth Reeves in February 1968. She was known as an authority on Indian handicrafts. Chosen as a Fulbright scholar to India in 1956, she later served on the All India Handicrafts Board. From 1956 to her death in 1966, she lived in India, studying its craft traditions.

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Left: Astronaut John Glenn (left) interacts with mediapersons during a press conference at Roosevelt House in 1966. Glenn piloted the Mercury-Atlas 6 “Friendship 7� spacecraft on the first manned orbital mission of the United States in 1962.

Above: Coretta Scott King (left) in January 1969. Mrs. King visited India to accept the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, for the year 1966, on behalf of her husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. Right: Coretta Scott King addresses employees of the U.S. Embassy.

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Left: Vice President Hubert Humphrey interacts with U.S. Embassy staff and their family members at Roosevelt House in 1966.

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oosevelt House has become a meeting place of nations, hosting a huge assortment of events and guests since its inception.

Left: Ornithologist Salim Ali (left) with S. Dillon Ripley, American ornithologist and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for 20 years, in September 1972.

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Above: Louise DePuy Keating, wife of Ambassador Kenneth B. Keating, prepares for Christmas at Roosevelt House in December 1970.

Left: Ambassador Kenneth B. Keating (left) with astronaut Frank Borman in August 1970. Borman led the first team of American astronauts to circle the moon.

Above: Ambassador Kenneth B. Keating (left) and General Sam Manekshaw, who later became Field Marshal, at a luncheon in March 1970.

Right: Guests at a luncheon hosted by Ambassador Kenneth B. Keating in honor of Hope Cooke, queen of Sikkim (third from right), in August 1970.

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Above: Ambassador Daniel P. Moynihan (from left), artist Satish Gujral and guests at an exhibit of Gujral’s artworks at Roosevelt House in October 1974.

Left: A dance and dinner party in April 1975.

Top: A concert by Jon B. Higgins in March 1982. Higgins is recognized as one of the first non-Indians to perform Carnatic music at a high level of proficiency.

Above: Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson with a guest at a reception at Roosevelt House in 1971.

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Above left: Guests at a party to celebrate Ambassador William B. Saxbe’s 35th wedding anniversary at Roosevelt House in September 1975.

Above: Ambassador Saxbe drives a cycle rickshaw during the party.

Left: Ambassador Daniel P. Moynihan’s children enjoy an elephant ride at Roosevelt House in December 1973.

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Left: Writer R.K. Narayan (center) at a ceremony where he received an honorary membership of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in recognition of his creative achievement in the arts. The event was organized in January 1982.

Above: American folk singer Bill Crofut performs in March 1982.

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Above right: David Grant, an English teacher from Massachusetts, performs as Mark Twain in 1982. Under a grant from the Eleanor Patterson Foundation, Grant followed the itinerary Twain set when he made a lecture tour in India in 1896. Grant delivered Twain’s remarks verbatim and transformed himself into the American author through makeup and costume.

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oosevelt House’s guest list has included not just politicians, but astronauts and artists, scientists and writers—and beyond.

Right: Artist Maqbool Fida Husain (left) with Ambassador John Gunther Dean and Martine Dean in January 1986.

Left: American modern dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham (left) and sitar player Ravi Shankar at a reception for Cunningham’s dance group in November 1990.

Left: Wing Commander Ravish Malhotra (from left), NASA astronaut Frederick Hauck and Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma at a reception in 1985. Sharma became the first Indian to travel in space in 1984. Malhotra was Sharma’s backup for the mission which launched Sharma into space.

Above: Nobel Prize winner in physics Subramanyan Chandrasekhar (center) at a reception hosted

by Ambassador John Gunther Dean in 1986.

Chandrasekhar won the Nobel Prize in 1983.

Left and far left: Guests at a reception for young Indian political leaders in May 1990.

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Right: Vice President Shankar Dayal Sharma and Ambassador William Clark, Jr. at an event to celebrate the U.S. Independence Day in July 1990.

Below: President Bill Clinton at Roosevelt House during his visit to India in March 2000.

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Below: Ambassador Richard F. Celeste and his wife, Jacqueline Lundquist, with their son at Roosevelt House in 1998.

Above: President George W. Bush interacts with U.S. Embassy employees at Roosevelt House, during his visit to India in March 2006.

Left: Hillary Clinton, during her visit as Secretary of State, in May 2012.

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Right: Ambassador David C. Mulford enjoys an Indian mango in April 2007. The United States began to accept shipments of irradiated mangoes from India in May 2007, the first U.S. imports of irradiated fruit.

Below: Ambassador David C. Mulford (left) and Pranab Mukherjee, current President of India and then External Affairs Minister, at an event to celebrate America’s Independence Day, in July 2008.

Left: Ambassador David C. Mulford (third from right) and Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal (right) at the U.S. Independence Day celebrations in July 2007.

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Left: Rinku Bhramdeen Singh (left) and Dinesh Kumar Patel, who won the Million Dollar Arm Hunt, a nationwide competition to find the fastest baseball pitchers in India, at Roosevelt House in May 2008.

Left: Ambassador David C. Mulford and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in December 2008.

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Above: Sally Roemer (left), wife of Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer, interacts with a worker of Sulabh International during a reception to recognize the work of the organization in improving the environment and ensuring health and hygiene, in February 2010.

Right: A performance at the reception for Sulabh International workers in February 2010.

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Left and below: Holi celebration at Roosevelt House in March 2011. Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer (left) celebrated Holi with children enrolled in an English language program started by Sally Roemer and taught by volunteers from the teachers at the American Embassy School.

Far left: A reception to mark Gandhi Jayanti in October 2010.

Left center: A classical dance performance at an event in honor of visiting officials from the Washington, D.C.-based Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in August 2010.

The center put on maximum INDIA, a celebration of Indian arts and culture, in March 2011.

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A concert featuring Amaan Ali Khan (from left), Amjad Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan in December 2011.

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he concert celebrated India-U.S. cultural relations. The family has a long history of collaborating with international artists and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Museum and at the United Nations.

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Left: Ratan Tata (left) at a luncheon hosted in his honor

by Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer in October 2010.

Below: Singer Kailash Kher (left) with Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer (right) at the reception for officials of the Kennedy Center in August 2010.

Above: Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer (left) and Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh at a reception (above center) to highlight the ongoing collaborative efforts between the United States and India to preserve and protect India’s tiger population, in November 2010.

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Above: First Lady Michelle Obama (from left), President Barack Obama, Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer and Sally Roemer in November 2010.

Left: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu presents the U.S. State Department’s 2013 International Women of Courage Award to the parents of “Nirbhaya,” the 23-yearold whose brutal gang rape on a moving bus in New Delhi became the foundation for a movement to end violence against women, at Roosevelt House.

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Left: Actor Anil Kapoor writes on a message board at an event, organized in August 2012, to draw attention to the Child Survival initiative launched by the governments of the United States, India and Ethiopia.

Below: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell (right) speaks before a performance by Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards, an all-female string group, in January 2014.

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Below: Ambassador Richard R. Verma (right) being interviewed by Karan Thapar in January 2015.

Top: ChargÊ d’Affaires ad interim Ambassador Kathleen Stephens (left) with Pir Dewan Syed Ali Moosa Nizami, chairman of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Spiritual Foundation, at an iftar party at Roosevelt House in July 2014.

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Above: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (facing, second from right) and U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker (facing, third from right) sit down to a working dinner with Indian and American businessmen in July 2014.

Bottom: Ambassador Verma and his family at a reception for a U.S. Congressional delegation led by Representative Ed Royce in March 2015.

Above: Ambassador Richard R. Verma participates in a bhangra dance by students of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, during an open house for U.S. Embassy staff in April 2015.

Left: A gidda performance by students from Mata Sundri College for Women, at the open house.

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live in an art gallery,” said Ambassador Kenneth B. Keating (1969-1972).

“It’s not exactly like home, but then it’s never dull either.” During his tenure, Roosevelt House was considered a leading showcase of the best in contemporary Indian art, vibrant with paintings, collages and sculptures.

The photograph shows Ambassador Keating and art adviser Marina Viets selecting contemporary Indian paintings for Roosevelt House.

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ver the years, Roosevelt House has acquired an added dimension—as a repository of American art. Most of the paintings and sculptures are on loan from various American museums and private collections, under the U.S. government’s Art in Embassies program.

Above: Unidentified visitors admire a mixed media piece by Piraji Sagara.

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Above: Rajiv Gandhi (from left), Ambassador Kenneth B. Keating and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi view artworks at Roosevelt House in September 1969.

Left: Bucking Horse by Constance Whitney Warren.

Below: Martine Dean, wife of Ambassador John Gunther Dean, in the Roosevelt House library. The Deans’ collection of books included an autographed copy of Thomas Paine’s “Les Sens Commun” (1792) and Thomas Fuller’s “The Holy State” (1648).

Above: A portrait of President George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. Ambassador John Gunther Dean brought it to India, on loan, in 1986.

Above: A map with Dutch markings showing India in the 17th century, gifted to the Deans by their children upon their India posting.

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ach Ambassadorial family also brings along its own private collection of mementos from all over the world, giving art in Roosevelt House an international flavor.

Above: A tapestry woven in Arras, France (circa 1590).

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Left: A 16th century portrait of Queen Mary by Hans Holbein.

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Photographs courtesy Architectural Digest

Above: Antique Kashmiri shawls lent by C.L. Bharany in the reception room during the time of Ambassador Nancy Powell.

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Water Painting II by Joseph Raffael in the large dining room.

Above: Lilydale by Charles Clough.

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Photographs courtesy Architectural Digest

uring the tenure of each Ambassador, a different group of American and Indian paintings, graphics and textiles has served to give a sense of the aesthetic tastes of its residents.

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The Roosevelt House garden attracts a wide variety of birds.

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The rear garden of Roosevelt House.

Courtesy Architectural Digest

The first diplomatic organization of the U.S. government to be set up in New Delhi was the office of the Personal Representative of the President in Cochin House in 1941. The office moved into Bahawalpur House in 1943. After India won independence in 1947, a full-fledged American Embassy was established at Bahawalpur House. The Embassy moved to Chanakyapuri in 1959.