J.B. West’s Followers (59)

J.B. West

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J. B. West (1912–1983), chief usher of the White House—or executive director of the executive mansion and grounds—was once called “the most powerful man in Washington next to the president.” Discreet and witty, he supervised the large permanent staff that provided for every personal want and need for six presidents and first ladies, including at state dinners, weddings, and funerals, redecorating the facilities for each family and tending to every special request. He served first as assistant to the chief usher and then as chief usher after retiring as a high-level civilian officer of the US Navy. A native Iowan, his White House tenure (1941–1969) followed a career in the Veterans Administration. Upstairs at the White House was published in ...more

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J.B. West’s books

Average rating: 4.14 · 35,457 ratings · 3,040 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West, Mary Lynn Kotz 4.14 avg rating — 35,460 ratings — published 1973 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies 4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Upstairs at the White House. My Life with the First Ladies [Uncorrected Proof Copy] by J.B. West, Mary Lynn Kotz it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Upstairs at the White House 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Pneumonias by Monroe Karetzky, Burke A. Cunha, Robert D. Brandstetter 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1993 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by J.B. West (?)

“The secret was loyalty to the White House and to the Presidency, rather than to whoever happens to be occupying the office for four years, or eight.”
― J.B. West, Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies

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“When a butler or doorman or usher would enter the room, the Trumans would introduce him to whoever happened to be sitting in the room, even if it were a King or a Prime Minister. They introduced all the staff to their visitors—something I’d never seen the Roosevelts do.”
― J.B. West, Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies

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“The Trumans usually celebrated Thanksgiving in the White House, but they spent most Christmases in Independence, quietly, with their families. And every year they instructed the kitchen help to prepare two full Christmas meals to go to two needy families in the District of Columbia—and to tell nobody.”
― J.B. West, Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies

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J.B. West’s Followers (59)

J.B. West

Combine EditionsJ.B. West’s books

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
J.B. West’s books