Evening star., 1952-04-27
WhiteHouse
Aides Play
BusyRoIe
Group Has Grown
Since First Army
Man Held Post
By Katharine M. Brooks

the first of the state reception.
in the renovated White House
Thursday. The following after.
noon they will be hosts to the
President and Mrs. Truman
This party of the aides has come
to be one of the the hardy
ANIMALS" Of the spring season
How long ago the young un-
married officers stationed in
Washington were given addi-
t1onal duties as aides at the
formal receptions in the White
House is not recorded. Records
do not go back much beyond
fifteen years. Before that those
arranging state receptions mere
ly asked for several officers to
be assigned for parties without
recording the assignment. Now
there are seven young bachelor
officers from each of the three
services regularly assigned to
that pleasant labor. in addition
to their work in the department
or nearby post. The three SER
vices. Army, Navy, which in
cludeS the Marine Corps, and
Air Force, also assign a SEN
ior officer to serve as aide to the
President.
Since Woshineton's Time
Every President has had a
military aide since the inaugu-
ration of the first Chief Execu-
tive, Gen. George Washington.
1t. David Humphrey held that
post, but the naval aide to the
President is of comparatively
recent date. The White House
Office of Rear Admiral Robert L.
Dennison, present Naval Aide,
has records and pictures of all
the naval aides since 1902, when
1t. Charles l.. McCawley of the
Marine Corps was naval aide
to President Theodore Roose-
velt. In those days even the
service aides to the President
were bachelors and the mar
riage of one of them auto
matically removed him from
that duty.
Comdr. William S. Sims
Joined 1t. McCawley at the
White House in 1906 and the
two gave aid to President Roose-
velt until 1908 when the latter
was transferred to other duty.
Comdr. Sims, the famous ADJ
miral Sims of the North At
lantic Fleet during World War
I, continued until the Inaugural
ton of President William How
ard Taft in 1909.
There was a naval aide to
President Benjamin Harrison in
1891 when 1t. John Frederick
Parker was assigned to duty in
the Bureau of Navigation, now
the Bureau of Naval Personnel.
His assignment read 60. in
addition to present duties as
signed him he will act as Naval
aide to the President of the
United States" 1t. Parker had
married Miss Elizabeth Lord,
daughter of Mrs. Russell Lord
and a niece of Mrs. Benjamin
Harrison. His tour of duty as
Naval aide was terminated
February %, 1893, a few days
before the end of the admins
tration.
Politics Tokes Hand
Political foes of President
Harrison made much of his ap-
pointment of a member of his
family and for the creation of
a place for him. Another such
storm broke over the appoint
ment by President Theodore
Roosevelt in 1908 of a civilian
to the Army and then assign
ing him as his military aide.
This was the much-beloved
"Archie" Butt who continued as
military aide to President Taft
until his untimely death in the
Titanic disaster.
Levee in 1903
Preceding Maj. Butt as mill
tary aide to President RooSe-
velt was Col. Theodore A.
Bingham, one of those who
remained always a favorite in
Washington. The Evening Star
of January 9, 1908, carried as
its lead I'm the Social World:
"The diplomatic levee at the
White House last night sur
rounds another historical in
cident with a brilliant setting.
The first State reception in the
newly decorated and greatly
changed home of the Presi-
dent gave 1000 guests an op-
portunity of participating in
what is generally considered the
most interesting of the winters
series"
It was at this reception that
Col. Bingham made the intro
ductions to President Roosevelt
and Maj. McCawley made them
to Mrs. Roosevelt. Other aides
assisting at this brilliant state
function were Comdr. William
Sheffield Cowles, who afterwards
married Miss Anna Roosevelt. a
close relative of the President;
Capt. John R. Proctor and Its.
Poole and Mccoy. whose full
names were not listed in The
Star. Those were the days when
young officers were called on oc-
casionally for White House func-
tionS.
To be selected as an aide at
the White House always has been
something coveted by young
bachelor officers. They must
know the proper social usage and
behavior at all functions and
they must know people so as to
escort the proper officials to their
correct places at State recep-
tions. Also, these young men are
great favorites in social circles