Executive Orders

Executive Order 11145--Providing for a Curator of the White House and establishing a Committee for the Preservation of the White House

Source: The provisions of Executive Order 11145 of Mar. 7, 1964, appear at 29 FR 3189, 3 CFR, 1964-1965 Comp., p. 184, unless otherwise noted.

WHEREAS the White House, as the home of the highest elective officer of the United States
--symbolizes the American ideal of responsible self-government
--is emblematic of our democracy and our national purpose
--has been intimately associated with the personal and social life of the Presidents of the United States and many of their official acts
--occupies a particular place in the heart of every American citizen, and

WHEREAS certain historic rooms and entranceways in the White House
--possess great human interest and historic significance
--traditionally have been open to visitors
--have provided pleasure and patriotic inspiration to millions of our citizens
--have come to be regarded as a public museum and the proud possession of all Americans, and

WHEREAS the Congress by law (Act of September 22, 1961), (75 Stat. 586) has authorized the care and preservation of the historic and artistic contents of the White House and has given the President certain responsibilities with regard thereto:

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows:

Section 1. (a) There shall be in the White House a Curator of the White House. The Curator shall assist in the preservation and protection of the articles of furniture, fixtures, and decorative objects used or displayed in the principal corridor on the ground floor and the principal public rooms on the first floor of the White House, and in such other areas in the White House as the President may designate.
(b) The Curator shall report to the President and shall make recommendations with respect to the articles, fixtures, and objects to be declared by the President, under section 2 of the Act of September 22, 1961, to be of historic or artistic interest.

Sec. 2. There is hereby established the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, hereinafter referred to as the "Committee". The Committee shall be composed of the Director of the National Park Service, the Curator of the White House, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the Chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, the Director of the National Gallery of Art, the Chief Usher of the White House, and so many other members as the President may from time to time appoint. The Director of the National Park Service shall serve as Chairman of the Committee and shall designate an employee of that Service to act as Executive Secretary of the Committee. Members of the Committee shall serve without compensation.

[Sec. 2 amended by Executive Order 11565 of Oct. 13, 1970, 35 FR 16155, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 976]

Sec. 3. (a) The Committee shall report to the President and shall advise the Director of the National Park Service with respect to the discharge of his responsibility under the Act of September 22, 1961, for the preservation and the interpretation of the museum character of the principal corridor on the ground floor and the principal public rooms on the first floor of the White House. Among other things, the Committee shall make recommendations as to the articles of furniture, fixtures, and decorative objects which shall be used or displayed in the aforesaid areas of the White House and as to the decor and arrangements therein best suited to enhance the historic and artistic values of the White House and of such articles, fixtures, and objects.
(b) The Committee shall cooperate with the White House Historical Association, a nonprofit organization heretofore formed under the laws of the District of Columbia.
(c) The Committee is authorized to invite individuals who are distinguished or interested in the fine arts to attend its meetings or otherwise to assist in carrying out its functions.

Sec. 4. Consonant with law, each Federal department and agency represented on the Committee shall furnish necessary assistance to the Committee in accordance with section 214 of the Act of May 3, 1945, 59 Stat. 134 (31 U.S.C. 691). The Department of the Interior shall furnish necessary administrative services for the Committee.

Editorial note: The Committee for the Preservation of the White House was continued until Sept. 30, 1989, by Executive Order 12610 of Sept. 30, 1987, 52 FR 36901, 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 250. Executive Order 12610 also provides that, notwithstanding the provisions of any other Executive order, the functions of the President under the Federal Advisory Committee Act which are applicable to the Committee, except that of reporting annually to Congress, shall be performed by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with guidelines and procedures established by the Administrator of General Services.