Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-08
Addition to White House
West Wing Under Study
Firm at Work on PIon to Solve
Office and Meeting Room Needs

y NVOUu INSSUS
requirements of the presidency
as an institution.
His announcement emphasized
that the study is being con.
Quoted on the clear understand.
ing that the traditional lines
simple dignity and sense of per-
manency of the White House will
not be changed by any new con-
struction or renovation of exist.
ing structures that may be pro.
posed"
Every Chief Executive since the
turn of the century has beer
confronted with the problem OF
housing the presidential offices
the announcement pointed out
1t recalled that President Theo-
dore Roosevelt ordered the build
ing of the west wing as a temp
orary structure when he moved
his offices out of the Executive
Mansion proper.
Truman Stirred Storm
In 1916 President Truman
proposed a $1.650,000 expansion
which would have tripled the
size of the west wing.
His proposal created a storm
OF controversy and eventually
died when Congress refused to
provide funds to carry it through.
Today most of the executive Of
fees are housed in the old State
Department Building, just across
the street from the west wing.
A comprehensive study of the
White House Office space prob
lem was recommended in 1852 by
the Commission on the Renova-
ton of the Executive Mansion.
That commission, which was
concerned only with renovation
OF the Executive Mansion and
not with the two wings, pointed
out in its final report that rem
ovation of the White House it
self left "other related prob
lens of Importance untouched. /"
In the past so years little
has been done to provide ex-
ecutive space commensurate
with the growth in importance
and function Of the Presidents
Office" the White House an
nouncement quoted from the
commissions report.
Scattered Offices
That report added that "the
direct Office facilities of the
Chief Executive are not only in
sufficient but the whole arrange
ment of scattered Offices and
personnel is inconsistent with
efficient and well co-ordinated
management of the executive
branch of the Government"
Mr.. Hagerty said the Heller
group has been on the job for
some time and already has made
a preliminary report recon-
minor interior modifi-
cations" of the west wing to
take care of the most critical
space problems"
He said these interior modifi-
cations are being carried out as
the Heller firm moves into the
long-range phase of it's study.
He said the firm will be con-
sulting now with people in va
rious Government departments,
the Fine Arts Commission, and
various persons formerly in Gov
eminent positions, seeking sug-
gestions.
Mr.. Hagerty told questioners
he did not know whether for
mer Presidents Hoover and Tru-
man would be consulted.
The interior notifications I'M
dertaken so far include moving
out OF the White House two
bowling alleys installed in the
west wing basement under the
Truman administration. This
space is being used for COM
munications and other offices,
making room in the west wing
for offices for the Presidents adj
ministrative assistants who had
been quartered in the east wing.
Mr.. Hagerty said more space
also is being found for Col An
drew Goodpasture, White House
staff secretary, and William Hop
kins, chief clerk. who had heen
See WHITE HOUSE, Page Az