A Message from the President

Stewart D. McLaurin

In 2020, like all nonprofit and educational organizations, the White House Historical Association faced the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The closing of our White House History Shop, the White House Visitor Center, and the White House Bookseller’s Area, as well as the necessity for the Association’s staff to work remotely and halt our vibrant in-person events, brought extreme and new challenges to our traditional operations.

Yet, through the hard work and creativity of our dedicated staff, and with the support and inspiration of our Board of Directors and National Council on White House History, the Association not only survived but thrived, as reported on the following pages and in the accomplishments charted in the “White House Historical Association Fact Sheet.” We were able to convert all of our planned in-person programs to virtual formats and reached more people in 2020 than in any other year in the Association’s history. Our successful transition to virtual programming firmly solidified a foundation that will take us onward into the future. As we resume our in-person events, we will continue to enhance them with digital offerings, drawing from the lessons learned during the pandemic and I know we will have a new way of working that will blend with the old in the future.

The Association’s ability to evolve and succeed under the circumstances of the global pandemic is a testament to the extraordinary legacy of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s vision for the Association’s role in the historic preservation of the White House. Our mission has been inspired by her vision since 1961. The processes that she established to acquire, manage, and preserve the historic furnishings of the White House and to fund publications and educational programs are all still in place and thriving.

The White House belongs to all Americans wherever they may be across the country and abroad. Our 2020 experiences will certainly enhance our ability to continue growing our reach once COVID-19 becomes history.

ANNUAL REPORT • 2020 9