| White House Social Secretary | |
|---|---|
| Executive Office of the President White House Office | |
| Appointer | Joe Biden as President of the United States |
| Formation | October 2, 1901 |
| First holder | Belle Hagner |
| Website | The White House |
The White House social secretary is responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of official social events at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States.
The social secretary is head of the White House Social Office, located in the East Wing of the White House Complex. The social secretary plans events ranging from those as simple as a tea for the first lady and a single official guest, to dinners for more than 200 guests. The social secretary works with the White House chief usher to coordinate domestic staff and with the chief of protocol of the United States, an official within the United States Department of State, to plan state visits and accompanying state dinners. The social secretary works with the White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office in the production of invitations to social events.
The social secretary works on both the political and non-political functions of the presidency, coordinating events for the president, the first lady, and senior political staff. The White House social secretary serves at the president's pleasure and is appointed by each administration.
On February 25, 2011, the White House appointed Jeremy Bernard, the first male, and first openly gay, social secretary in that position's history. "I have long admired the arts and education programs that have become hallmarks of the Obama White House and I am eager to continue these efforts in the years ahead," Bernard said during the announcing press conference.[1][2][3]
| No. | Image | Social Secretary | Term of office | President |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belle Hagner[4] | 1901–1909 | Theodore Roosevelt | |
| 2 |  |
Alice Blech[5] | 1909–1910 | William Howard Taft |
| 3 | |
Mary Spiers[6] | 1910–1913 | |
| 4 | Belle Hagner[7] | 1913–1915 | Woodrow Wilson | |
| 5 | Edith Benham Helm[8] | 1915–1921 | ||
| 6 | Laura Harlan[9] | 1921–1923 | Warren G. Harding | |
| 1923–1929[9] | Calvin Coolidge | |||
| 7 | |
Mary Randolph[10] | 1929–1931 | Herbert Hoover |
| 8 | |
Doris Goss[11] | 1931–1933 | |
| 9 | Edith Benham Helm[8] | 1933–1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | |
| 1945–1953[8] | Harry S. Truman | |||
| 10 | Mary Jane McCaffree[12] | 1955–1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| 11 | Letitia Baldrige[13] | 1961–1963 | John F. Kennedy | |
| 12 | Nancy Tuckerman[14] | 1963–1963 | ||
| 13 | Bess Abell[15][16] | 1963–1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson | |
| 14 | Lucy Winchester[17] | 1969–1974 | Richard Nixon | |
| 15 | Nancy Lammerding Ruwe[18] | 1974–1975 | Gerald Ford | |
| 16 | Maria Downs[19] | 1975–1977 | ||
| 17 | |
Gretchen Poston[20] | 1977–1981 | Jimmy Carter |
| 18 | |
Mabel (Muffie) Brandon[21] | 1981–1983 | Ronald Reagan |
| 19 | Gahl Hodges[22] | 1983–1985 | ||
| 20 | |
Linda Faulkner[23] | 1985–1989 | |
| 21 | |
Laurie Firestone[24] | 1989–1993 | George H. W. Bush |
| 22 | Ann Stock[25] | 1993–1997 | Bill Clinton | |
| 23 | Capricia Marshall[26] | 1997–2001 | ||
| 24 | |
Catherine Fenton[27] | 2001–2004 | George W. Bush |
| 25 | Lea Berman[28] | 2005–2007 | ||
| 26 | |
Amy Zantzinger[29] | 2007–2009 | |
| 27 | Desirée Rogers[30] | 2009–2010 | Barack Obama | |
| 28 | Julianna Smoot[31] | 2010–2011 | ||
| 29 | Jeremy Bernard[32] | 2011–2015 | ||
| 30 | Deesha Dyer[33] | 2015–2017 | ||
| 31 | |
Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd[34] | 2017–2021[35] | Donald Trump |
| 32 | Carlos Elizondo[36] | 2021–present | Joe Biden |
