As we celebrate President's Day, a review of some pets that spent time in the White House over the last century or so is in order. For those of us who love American history, it is interesting to note that many of our furry friends had a big impact on our cultural fabric. From President William McKinley's (in office from 1897-1901) famous and exotic Mexican yellow-headed parrot to President Barack Obama's cool dog named Bo, the presidential pets have remained a major part of the American presidency.
While most of our presidents had pets, a few made their pets a major part of their administration.
President William Taft (1909-1913) was responsible for bringing the last cow to the White House. Yes, that was a big deal. Why? Cows were the most common presidential pets of the 1800s. Of course, dogs won that distinction in the 20th Century. And, President Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) kept track of his favorite pet named Old Ike, a tobacco-chewing ram, from the windows of the White House. Old Ike and a few sheep were allowed to graze the White House lawn.
For instance, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945) had a faithful and loyal companion named Fala, a black Scottish terrier. Fala traveled with the president on trips abroad and was often photographed by the press. He was a master of tricks and entertained the president and all those around him.
A beloved White House pet just like the Clintons' cat, Roosevelt's dog Fala lived most of his life at the White House. In addition, Roosevelt owned many other dogs, including Major, a German Shepherd; Tiny, an English sheepdog; and a Great Dane aptly named President.
When it comes to resemblances, Roosevelt's dog Fala looked something like Miss Beazley, the 10 week-old Scottish Terrier that arrived at the White House during the George W. Bush administration in January 2005. The canine was a surprise birthday present for First Lady Laura Bush.
A few presidents hosted nothing short of zoos when they were in the White House, such as presidents Calvin Coolidge and Teddy Roosevelt. Coolidge served from 1923 to 1929 and he and his wife, Grace, were pet lovers. The first couple's white collie was best known to the American public, yet the Coolidges also had terriers, Airdales, Chow chows, bulldogs and a Shetland sheepdog. In addition to the dogs, canaries and mockingbirds were the beloved pets of Mrs. Coolidge. The most exotic pets of the Coolidge administration were gifts from dignitaries, including a wallaby, a pigmy hippo and African lion cubs.
No matter the president, in terms of sheer numbers of pets, Theodore Roosevelt trumped all of his White House colleagues when it came to the animal menagerie. A great gamesman, hunter and naturalist, Roosevelt brought many, many animals with him and his large family to the White House during his years of service from 1901 to 1909.
President Roosevelt's favorite pet was said to be a horse named Bleistein. Yet, there were other horses that the president rode with regularity, including Renown, Roswell, Rusty, Jocko, Root, Grey, Dawn, Wyoming and Yangenkah. The menagerie of pets living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. during much of the first decade of the 20th Century also included owls, lizards, roosters, guinea pigs, cats, badgers, raccoons and hyenas. And, national fame came to Alice Roosevelt's pet snake and Quentin Roosevelt's macaw named Eli Yale - an interesting names since the president graduated from Harvard.
Little Quentin Roosevelt was nearly 4 years old when his family moved into the White House. He and his siblings had a pony named Algonquin, who became almost as famous as his young masters for all of the mischief they caused. One day, in an effort to cheer up his sick brother, Archie, young Quentin brought the pony into the White House and upstairs to his brother's bedroom using a small service elevator. With animal trophy heads decorating the State Dining Room and a bunch of young Roosevelt children bringing all kinds of pets into the famous home, the story of presidential pets was never the same.
In looks and vigor, Algonquin rivaled Caroline Kennedy's beloved pony named Macaroni. Like many other Presidential children, the Kennedy children received pets as gifts. Macaroni, for example, was a gift from Vice President Lyndon Johnson. Macaroni roamed the White House grounds and received fan letters from the public. And, Caroline's dog, Pushinka, was given to her by the Soviet Union's head of state at the time, Nikita Khrushchev.
Happy President's Day!
Antiques appraiser, author, award-winning TV personality and TV talk show host Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. Visit www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori or call (888) 431-1010.