Mrs. Kennedy enlisted Life magazine to help promote the renovation of the White House to the public. She helped prepare a fully illustrated article outlining her plans that ran in the September 1961 issue, and participated in an interview with Hugh Sidey, in which she stated, “Everything in the White House must have a reason for being there. It would be sacrilege merely to redecorate it—a word I hate. It must be restored, and that has nothing to do with decoration. That is a question of scholarship.”
The full view of the White House restoration project didn’t come to fruition, however, until April of 1961, when advisory committee members Lyman Butterfield, editor of the John Adams papers and Julian Boyd, editor of the Thomas Jefferson papers, drafted a treatise entitled “The White House as a Symbol.” The authors put forth three controlling principles for the restoration of the White House that ultimately influenced Mrs. Kennedy’s plan. The first principle focused on the evolving nature of the White House and the importance of not limiting the style to one time period; the second principle dealt with the “living” character of the White House and the need to reflect the different administrations that had passed through, and the third principle focused on the library as an integral part of the White House’s symbolic and functional role. Inspired by these suggestions put forth by Boyd and Butterfield, Mrs. Kennedy decided to focus on the evolving character of the White House, rather than its earliest period, for restoration.
As the project progressed, Mrs. Kennedy and Mr. du Pont became aware of the need for a permanent Curator in the White House to deal with the growing collection. Lorraine Waxman Pearce became the first Curator of the White House in late March of 1961. By September of that year, Congress sanctioned the restoration of the White House with Public Law 87-286, which officially declared the White House a museum. This act allowed the Fine Arts Committee and the Curator’s office to assure potential donors that their gifts would not be auctioned off or kept in the private collection of any president. It further protected the rooms of the White House from being radically altered in the future, and clearly defined the project as historic preservation, rather than mere redecoration.
Mrs. Kennedy’s White House restoration received lavish attention from the media, prompting offers from across the United States from people who wished to donate family heirlooms. Although many were unsuitable, an occasional treasure surfaced among the donations. Another method for collecting antiques involved solicitation of desirable items spotted by Mrs. Kennedy or one of the committee members. Media coverage of the event culminated in Mrs. Kennedy’s guided tour of the White House on CBS, which aired on February 14, 1962. The show drew more than 80 million viewers and embellished the Kennedys reputation as cultural gurus. Mrs. Kennedy was also awarded an honorary Emmy for her contribution to television.
Another example of Mrs. Kennedy’s significant contribution to posterity was her plan for a guidebook. Mrs. Kennedy envisioned a series of publications to explain every facet of the White House: its history, its architectural significance, and its contents. The White House Historical Association was established in 1961 for the publication of the guidebook and to oversee public programs involving the White House.
Although the Kennedy restoration abruptly ended with the President’s death in November of 1963, most of the State rooms on the ground and first floors were complete. During the Johnson presidency, most of the rooms remained unchanged in deference to the Kennedys. The Kennedy restoration interiors were eventually altered as public taste and the philosophy of historic decoration evolved. Other first ladies, including Nancy Reagan, expressed an admiration for the Kennedy style and made an effort to recreate some of the designs. Despite the changes that took place over the years, many credit Mrs. Kennedy for setting the high standard in White House restoration and design. The public’s continuing interest in the Kennedy White House is a testament to the enduring significance of their contributions.