Evening star., 1952-06-01
Edith Helm
Mite House
Institution
Came to Lunch in
1888; Still There
10 Yeors>Loter
By lsobelIe Shelton

dent on March 4, 1888, Mrs. Roose-
velt invited her old friend Edith
Helm to lunch. And, like the man
who came to dinner. Mrs. Helm
really hasn't left the White House
since.
Her polite offer to help steer
Mrs. Roosevelt through the mazes
of Washington protocol was
promptly snapped up by the then
new first lady. Mrs. Helm helped
out informally at first, soon was
installed as White House social
secretary.
Nineteen years later she is still
there. having served throughout
the Roosevelt administration and
stayed on with Mrs. Truman. Mrs.
Roosevelt likes to tease her about
a piece of Red Cross sewing which
she brought to lunch that day.
which Mrs. r. says she is sure
never did get finished.
AS a matter of fact the job was
old stuff to Mrs. Helm when she
took it on in 1888.
She previously had. served as
social secretary to the second Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson, starting in 1915
when that lady came to the White
House as a bride, and continuing
until her own marriage in 1920
to Rear Admiral j. M. Helm.
Admiral Helm died in 1927.
1t was during the Wilson period.
when Mrs. Helm accompanied the
President and his wife to the Paris
Peace Conference in 1919, that she
became well acquainted with the
young Assistant Secretary of the
Navy and Mrs. Franklin D. RooSe-
welt.
Moy Retire Next Year
The White House spring social
season winds up Tuesday with .
garden party for wounded vet
Grams. A few days later Mrs.
Truman leaves to spend the sum-
mer in Independence and Mrs.
Helm leaves for her summer home
in Boyce, Va.
Unless the Trumans launch q
fall social program for their last
few months in the White House
which seems unlikely-the vet
erans' party may well be the last
White ouse function Mrs. Helm
will age.
Al nearly quarter of q
centuly of planning entertain
ment for the great and near
great, she indicates she has had
about enough. She won't say
IAatly that she plans to retire when
the Trumai1s leave the White
House next January. But she de-
clares she feels "old and tired"
land points out THAT her job is
"quite arduous-and gettins more
so all the time"
Election Of a Republican Presi-
dent would settle the question in
!. any case. She has served only
under Democratic administrations.
II am a District of Columbia resi-
dent; therefore I don't vote" she
declared. But if I were to reg
lister to vote. I would be a Demo-
crat. I don't suppose it would be
very appropriate to WORT in Q
Republican administration"
Dinner for a King
During her long tenure Mrs.
Helm has arranged social affairs
ranging from the formal dinner
for Britains King George vi and
Queen Elizabeth in 1899 to simple
ice-cream-and-cake parties for the
Roosevelt grandchildren. She
planned massive receptions for
5000 during the Wilson admin
istration, arranged for dainty
luncheons for six for Mrs. Tru-
: man.
Sometimes. during Mrs. Roose.
J velt's frequent absences on speak
ing trips, she served as President
RooSevelt's official hostess at
luncheons and dinners. To her
fell much of the responsibility for
making the Roosevelt funeral ar
rangements, while Mrs. Roosevelt
flew to Warm Springs.
The essentials of her job haven't
changed very much since she
started in 1915. Mrs. Helm says.
"But everything has gotten so
much bigger. The city has grown.
there are so many more Govern
ment agencies. and the diplomatic
corps has grown tremendously"
White House parties, on the
other hand, have actually grown
smaller, Mrs. Helm says. II
guess people used to have more
stamina back in the early days."
she says. Receptions at the
White House often were for 5000
then, while 1000 is about the limit.
And the entire Cabinet and their
wives used to stand in the receiv-
ing line at receptions. Now just
the President and his wife re-
Iceive."
Navy Family
Mrs. Helm was born in Staten
Island, N. Y. The granddaughter
of a Navy commander. daughter Of
a Navy rear admiral GA. E. K.
Benham) and widow of another
rear admiral. she is possessed Of
excellent social connections. She
was social secretary at the British
and imperial Russian embassies
and for several congressional wives
before going to the White House
with Mrs. Wilson.
! AS a child she lived in various
parts Of the world, including Ja-
pan. China and France, depending
on her fathers assignments. She
is independently wealthy. owning
among other things. 1000 acres Of
rich bottom land" in Southern
Illinois near the town Of Gray
vile. on which she grows corn.
A three-time member of the
exclusive Navy Society Of Spon-
lsors-membership in which is
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