# How many people have died at the White House?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 3, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905 "2004-09-03T03:30:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905/1 "2004-09-03T03:30:37Z")
The only ones I know of are presidents and their families, but I’m interested in anyone who died there, famous or not. These are the ones I know of:
**1841 - William Henry Harrison (President)
1842 - Letitia Tyler (First Lady)
1850 - Zachary Taylor (President)
1862 - Willie Lincoln (President’s son)
1873 - Frederick Dent (President Grant’s father-in-law)
1892 - Caroline Harrison (First Lady)
1914 - Ellen Wilson (First Lady)**
Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, F.D. Roosevelt, and Kennedy died while in office but they don’t qualify since they didn’t die at the White House.
I know Calvin Coolidge Jr. (the President’s son) died in 1924 while his father was in office, but I don’t know if he actually died in the White House.
I recall reading something about either Truman’s mother or mother-in-law dying inside the White House, but I can’t find any confirmation now.
No conspiracy theories about Vince Foster or anyone else, please.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905/2 "2004-09-03T04:00:38Z")
Frank Eugene Corder, who crashed a Cessna into the White House in 1994.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905/3 "2004-09-03T04:45:17Z")
Cal Jr. died at Walter Reed Hospital. Reading the papers right now.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905/4 "2004-09-03T05:06:39Z")
Charles G. Ross, press secretary to Truman, died in 1950 in the White House. Coronary occlusion.
Truman’s mom died back in MO.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905/5 "2004-09-03T05:12:14Z")
It was, indeed, Truman’s mother-in-law. Ms. Wallace died there in 1952.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905/6 "2004-09-03T05:33:02Z")
Also, while Truman was in office, a guard was shot and killed by Puerto Rican separatist in/at the Blair House, which was the official residence of Truman while the White House was undergoing repairs. I don’t know if that counts.
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### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905/7 "2004-09-03T06:02:35Z")
> [@samclem](#):
>
> Cal Jr. died at Walter Reed Hospital. Reading the papers right now.
Wow, and I thought that our paper delivery was late! 😃
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-died-at-the-white-house/262905/8 "2004-09-03T06:36:58Z")
Servants lived in the servants’ quarters of the White House in the 19th century. It will probably be difficult to find if any, and how many, of them died while there. There is an official White House historian at [whitehouse.gov](http://whitehouse.gov); drop him a line and ask.