Pomp, Protocol, and Monarchical Manners: State Dinners at the White House

As President Barack Obama and his family settle into life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, one thing is certain: they will have plenty of opportunities for parties and celebrations at home. Based on the experiences of previous White House occupants, there will be frequent birthday parties for family and friends, holiday parties for many festive occasions, private dinners with trusted advisors, and numerous receptions for visitors from around the world. But the hottest party invitation at the White House during the years of the Obama administration is likely to be the formal state dinner, which has been a staple of the president's social, diplomatic, and political life since the founding of the republic. In spite of constant political and social change over the past two hundred years, and in spite of occasional criticism for their undemocratic lavishness, the ways in which state dinners have been planned and produced have remained remarkably consistent. No matter whether there is economic recession or prosperity, no matter which political party or presidential personality occupies the office, the consensus inside the White House is that the parties and celebrations inside America's most famous residence not only must go on, but also must go on according to long-standing protocol and tradition. Several factors may explain this phenomenon. One is the strong sense of historical continuity that pervades the White House. Presidential candidates may campaign on slogans of "change we can believe in" or "ready for change." But by the time they are ready to take possession of the residence on January 20, they are much more respectful of the dignified traditions that are part and parcel of the White House. The "new brooms" that "sweep clean" may be used occasionally in the corridors of Congress, but when it comes to actually sweeping or cleaning the White House, the tools are generally the same they have always been. Perhaps even more importantly, the person holding the broom- as a member of the White House residence staff- is likely to have held the job during several different presidential administrations. Moreover, there is usually something ineffable about the experience of a White House state dinner- even among members of the First Families themselves. Lady Bird Johnson, for instance, was the wife of a powerful senator, vice president, and eventually president, and therefore attended many state dinners. But the thrill for her was never gone - as at a state dinner for Pakistan President Muhammad Ayub Khan on December 14, 1965: We went downstairs to "Hail to the Chief." And then- I shall always be impressed by it- the entrance to the great East Room, the moment of expectation as the President, the First Lady, and the visiting Chief of State arrive to meet the guests. I always feel a little detached, like a spectator, surprised that I am there. (I. B. Johnson 338) This palpable - and seemingly immutable-sense of excitement at attending a White House state dinner begins with the invitation itself. Calligraphers have worked at the White House since the early nineteenth century in order to painstakingly address each invitation by hand; and when these invitations fall into the hands of the invitees, they are held in the highest regard. For instance, an anonymous social correspondent for the Harper's Bazaar observed in 1877 that an invitation to a state dinner should never "be refused, obliging one, as it does, to cancel any other engagement already formed .... [W]hen private people are called to the state dinners the compliment is rare and highly prized" ("Social Usages at Washington" 658). Almost one hundred years later, two reporters for the Washington Post expressed nearly identical sentiments. The first wrote, "In the United States, where royalty cannot command and a court does not exist, only one invitation serves as a summons that must be obeyed ... a state dinner given by the President on behalf of a distinguished foreign guest" (H. …