First Lady Pool Reports of September 23, 2022

#1 FLOTUS pool - background WHHA event/dedication

Hello! While your pooler waits in this beautiful weather for press to be cleared to enter the area around Decatur House for the White House Historical Association event with FLOTUS, pasting below background information sent by the East Wing.

It appears this event will take place outdoors in front of the WHHA front doors on the Jackson Place side. Chairs are set up, as is a podium on the front steps. There are plenty of pedestrians walking along H Street, some have begun to pause and ask questions about the event and why Lafayette Square is closed off.

Background:

Today, Friday September 23rd, at 2:30 PM ET, First Lady Jill Biden will deliver remarks at a White House Historical Association dedication ceremony honoring former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at the Decatur House. The ceremony will dedicate a newly installed garden featuring a new sculpture to celebrate Mrs. Kennedy's historic legacy in restoring the White House and preserving Lafayette Square.

After the sculpture unveiling, the First Lady will participate in a tree planting ceremony of a willow oak tree with Stewart McLaurin and John Rogers. The willow oak is native to the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains and the Mississippi River valley region of North America.

Previous tree planting ceremonies during the Biden-Harris administration:

1. May 30, 2022: The President and the First Lady were joined by surviving families of service members at a tree planting ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. The magnolia tree was planted in honor of those who have lost their lives and the families who carry on their legacies.
2. April 30, 2021: The First Lady participated in a tree planting event on the North Grounds of the White House to observe Arbor Day. The First Lady helped plant a Linden tree, selected by the National Park Service and sourced by Dale Haney, the White House Grounds Superintendent.

Speaking program:

1. Stewart D. McLaurin, President, White House Historical Association
2. John Rogers, Chairman, White House Historical Association
3. First Lady Jill Biden

From the White House Historical Association about the Jacqueline Kennedy Medallion:
The Jacqueline Kennedy Medallion, the centerpiece of the newly dedicated Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, is a bas relief of Mrs. Kennedy by renowned American artist Chas Fagan, who combines his artistic gifts with his knowledge of history. The medallion features her famous words "The White House belongs to the American people."

Mrs. Kennedy's dedication to the preservation of history dates back to the 1960s, when plans were underway to remove all of the historic buildings around the park, including Decatur House. She effectively advocated to safeguard the historic area. The fruits of her labor are what we know today as Lafyette Square.

#2 FLOTUS pool/ Arrival

Jill Biden arrived at 2:37pm. She is standing on the front steps of the WHHA building with Stuart McLaurin, President of the WHHA.

Run of show as we have been told by the East Wing:
Remarks from McLaurin
Remarks from John Rogers, chair of the WHHA Board of Directors
Unveiling of the Jacquline Kennedy medallion
Dr. Biden remarks
Ceremonial tree-planting with Dr. Biden

#3 FLOTUS pool: flotus remarks

Prior to her remarks,Jill Biden helped pull the ropes to remove the covering of the Jacqueline Kennedy medallion and reveal the new piece. There are about 100 invited guests seated in front of the steps where Biden is speaking. "It's quite beautiful," said FLOTUS, who noted she had seen a rendering of the medallion inside the building before coming out to speak.

Biden began her remarks with a nod about her "neighbors," the WHHA, which is just across the Lafayette Square from the White House.

She talked about women suffragettes protesting in the park, steps from the White House, holding vigil to deliver their message to President Wilson of a woman's right to vote.

"The history of our country is sewn into the soil of this park and in the bronze statues and ancient trees, in the cobblestones," said Biden. "We can find the stories, stories that remind us of how far we've come. Stories that really inspire us to rise to new heights."

Biden noted how Jacqueline Kennedy worked to save the park and surrounding historic townhouses, "because we all deserve to experience our rich history, the full, complex and beautiful story of who we are."

"Together, we are opening the doors of the People's House wider and wider to welcome all those who are part of this nation," she said in closing.

After her remarks, which lasted about 3 minutes, Biden joined Rogers, both with gold shovels, to "plant" a ceremonial Willow Oak tree on the sidewalk in front of the building.

Artist Chas Fagan also joined Biden at the tree, first pausing with Biden to admire his work on the medallion.

After the planting, the first lady posed for photographs and then went into Decatur House for a private reception. The pool did not see her depart.