For 37 years, Gary Walters held one of the most unique and discreet positions in American politics: Chief Usher of the White House. Serving seven consecutive presidents from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush, Walters was the man responsible for ensuring the executive residence ran like clockwork, all while bearing witness to history from an unparalleled vantage point. Now, in his newly published memoir, White House Memories 1970-2007: Recollections of the Longest-Serving Chief Usher, he shares his most vivid recollections.
A Front-Row Seat to History and Habit
Appointed chief usher in 1986, Walters' role was akin to a general manager for the world's most famous address. He oversaw a staff of 90 to 100, including butlers, chefs, engineers, and florists, all dedicated to making the White House a home for the First Family. His stories reveal the personal quirks and profound moments behind the public facade.
He recalls Nancy Reagan's meticulous "trial dinners", full dress rehearsals for state banquets where she and President Ronald Reagan would sample every course to guarantee perfection for guests like Margaret Thatcher. He fondly remembers President Reagan's consistent and cooperative nature, a stark contrast to his controversial Hollywood image.
The domestic details were all in a day's work. He reveals that President George H.W. Bush once had to issue a memo to staff pleading with them to stop feeding treats to the family dog, Ranger, who was gaining too much weight. When President Bill Clinton, an avid jogger, arrived, Walters helped solve a security headache by creating a synthetic turf jogging track around the South Lawn's interior roadway.
Moments of Global Thaw and National Trauma
Walters' position placed him at the heart of geopolitical events. He describes the palpable shift in atmosphere when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev visited in 1987 to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. "I literally could feel the thawing of the cold war," Walters says of standing in the State Dining Room as the two leaders addressed the world.
No event marked his tenure more than the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. That morning, the White House grounds were prepared for the annual Congressional picnic, with over 160 tables set on the South Lawn. Upon hearing of the second plane hitting New York, Walters instinctively began dismantling the setup to clear a landing zone for Marine One.
After a full evacuation was ordered, Walters and a skeleton crew remained. When news emerged of a third hijacked plane heading for Washington, fear was acute. "I'm standing here with my legs spread apart because, if I put my knees any closer together, they'd probably be banging together like a bass drum," he joked grimly to his colleagues. He is convinced United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania, was destined for the White House, believing its passengers saved his life.
Discretion, Diplomacy, and Ghostly Tales
True to his discreet profession, Walters' memoir strikes a bipartisan tone, praising the families he served from both parties. When asked about modern changes to the White House, like those proposed by Donald Trump, he responds with practised diplomacy, noting that every president makes alterations, just as the West Wing itself was once a new addition.
He initiated a touching tradition, presenting each outgoing president with two flags: the one that flew on their first day and the one that flew on their last. As for the legendary White House ghosts, Walters never saw an apparition himself but recounts staff members being spooked near the Lincoln Bedroom, with one aide swearing he saw a rocking chair moving on its own.
From managing state dinners to navigating national crises, Gary Walters' account provides an unforgettable, human-scale perspective on power, history, and the relentless effort required to maintain a symbol of the American presidency.
