Harry Truman, 33rd president of the United States, once said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” Or a cat, perhaps. Or maybe a family of gerbils, a goat, some sheep, or even an alligator. Ever since George Washington, American presidents have kept pets. With Presidents’ Day on Monday, we thought this was a good time to honor the animals behind (or sitting on the laps of) the executives.
Fala is probably the most famous White House pet. He made headlines during his master’s third election campaign when a rumor (it wasn’t true) began that a naval destroyer - at great expense - had been sent to retrieve him. Fala’s master spoke for him: ‘His Scotch soul was furious.’
On a signal from the president, Liberty, a golden retriever, would rush into the Oval Office and break up meetings that had gone on too long. Such informality was in marked contrast to the ‘imperial’ presidency of the previous president.
Polly, a green parrot, was doted upon by the president’s wife, Martha. The chief executive preferred horses, but also bred mules and dogs. Besides being the father of our country, he’s father of the American foxhound.
An alligator was a gift from France’s Marquis de Lafayette, a key US ally in the Revolutionary War. The 'gator resided for months in a bathroom in the East Room. The gift’s reluctant recipient was the first son of a president to become president himself.
Old Ike the Ram and a flock of sheep kept the White House lawn neatly trimmed so presidential gardeners could go off to war and make the world ‘safe for democracy.’ The bookish president wasn’t much for farm animals, but he did occasionally go out among the herd and pat them.
This president’s six children brought a menagerie to the White House, everything from a bear and a pony to a hyena, a badger, guinea pigs, and many more. Daughter Alice had a garter snake (above) named Emily Spinach. No wonder her father established so many nature preserves.
Pushinka was a mutt from the Soviet Union. She was the offspring of Strelka, one of the first dogs to be sent into space by the USSR. Pushinka (it means ‘fluffy’ in Russian) was a gift, a peace offering from the Soviet premier to the president’s daughter. Given the cold war, though, the pup was thoroughly examined by the CIA first.
Jack the Turkey was supposed to be Christmas dinner when he was given to a wartime White House. But the president’s young son grew fond of the bird and begged his father to spare him - which he did, to no one’s surprise. The boy’s tenderhearted father had already allowed his son’s two pet goats to ride in the presidential carriage.
And let’s not forget the two presidents whose animal husbandry skills were somewhat questionable: Billy Carter, who saved everyone from that half-drowned bunny by bashing it over the head with an oar, and LB Johnson, who was caught in the act of picking up a beagle by its ears, an accusation he defended by claiming beagles liked it.
In Cambridge, we currently have a turkey living on the grounds of the transportation center. It just showed up one day, and has been living there ever since. It has been, somewhat obviously, named Gobbles, and is purportedly very fond of grapes. (Popcorn and nuts, it will share with the squirrels… but grapes are strictly paws-off!)
Not that that has anything to do with Irish music -or- Presidents Day.
Just a reminder that two (2) First Dogs have been Scotties.
Coincidence? I think not.
Fala (FDR Memorial)
Barney
Can’t resist adding this touching story about Fala:
Fala Never Forgot
“Readjustments in one’s inner life have to go on forever, I think, but my main decisions probably were made by the end of the first year. It was Fala, my husband’s little dog, who never really readjusted. Once, in 1945, when General Eisenhower came to lay a wreath on Franklin’s grave, the gates of the regular driveway were opened and his automobile approached the house accompanied by the wailing of the sirens of a police escort. When Fala heard the sirens, his legs straightened out, his ears pricked up and I knew that he expected to see his master coming down the drive as he had come so many times. Later, when we were living in the cottage, Fala always lay near the dining-room door where he could watch both entrances just as he did when his master was there. Franklin would often decide suddenly to go somewhere and Fala had to watch both entrances in order to be ready to spring up and join the party on short notice. Fala accepted me after my husband’s death, but I was just someone to put up with until the master should return. Many dogs eventually forget. I felt that Fala never really forgot. Whenever he heard the sirens he became alert and felt again that he was an important being, as he had felt when he was traveling with Franklin. Fala is buried now in the rose garden at Hyde Park and I hope he is no longer troubled with the need for any readjustments.”
–From “On My Own” by Eleanor Roosevelt, 1958
The readers here are bright–I would wager that the average American college student would get 2 correct out of the 8. The average person that talk show host Jay Leno gets for his segments would get zero.
I can relate a story about President’s Ford and Nixon, from Bob Greene’s recent book, “Fraternity.” The trivia says that Ford would have his dog break up long meetings. Nixon would have his secretary call at preset times so that he could excuse himself. As for the ‘imperial’ presidency, Nixon ALWAYS wore a jacket and tie in the Oval Office–even if he was the only person there late at night. For those who would like to get an informal personal perspective on some of the modern president’s, Green’s book is a good read.
Here are some more tidbits with the answers.
(1) F; Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Secret Service dubbed Fala ‘the Informer,’ because when he was spotted, FDR was sure to be nearby. (2) H; Gerald R. Ford. It fell to President Ford to walk Liberty early one morning. They exited without incident - only to find that they were locked out. The Secret Service had to rescue them. (3) A; George Washington. When a stray wandered into his Revolutionary War headquarters, Washington’s officers wanted to keep it. But a name on the dog’s collar showed it was General Howe’s. Washington insisted that the dog be returned to the British commander under a flag of truce. (4) B; John Quincy Adams. His preferred ‘pets’ were silkworms. His wife, Louisa, reportedly spun and wove the silk herself, enough for several gowns. (5) E; Woodrow Wilson. When World War I ended and the gardeners returned, Old Ike and his flock retired to a farm in Maryland. (6) D; Theodore Roosevelt. Kermit and Quentin Roosevelt once sneaked a pony up in the White House elevator to visit their sick brother, Archie. (7) G; John F. Kennedy. Nikita Khrushchev gave the puppy to Caroline after the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. (8) C; Abraham Lincoln. Tad Lincoln’s goats were named Nanny and Nanko.
