# Jackie Kennedy and Her WhiteHouse Renovation-Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511 "2013-11-22T13:44:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/1 "2013-11-22T13:44:03Z")
I watched part 2 of the PBD Kennedy special last night-and I didn’t understand why Jackie had the massive WH renovations done. In President Truman’s term, the White House was dump-it was falling apart. So, he moved out and the place was rebuilt from the inside out-it was essentially brand new when Eisenhower became president. So why was Jackie Kennedy allowed to rebuild it again? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/2 "2013-11-22T13:55:12Z")
She was redecorating, not renovating. AFAIK nothing was built – they just moved in different furniture. First ladies often would redecorate to their liking even before Jackie, but Jackie was the first to give a tour showing how things looked. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/3 "2013-11-22T14:37:54Z")
[Here](http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/special/renovation-1961.htm) is an article with before-and-after photos from an unofficial website about the White House. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/4 "2013-11-22T14:44:49Z")
That article is really good. Here’s the first paragraph, which sums up nicely: > [@](#): > > In 1961, when John and Jackie Kennedy moved into the White House, they found that the Truman-era decor and furnishings used modern fabrics or were casual reproductions of period pieces. These items had been acquired quickly as funds dried up in 1952, and, many felt, didn’t befit the heritage of the home of the president of the United States. Jackie Kennedy’s upbringing and education gave her a deep appreciation for fine art and authentic period pieces, so she looked for ways—on the White House’s limited budget—to not merely redecorate but to restore the White House to a grander, more authentic period look appropriate to its role in American life. I remember when she did this-- I was about 13-- and I followed every detail. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/5 "2013-11-22T15:47:22Z")
What I’ve always wondered is, why was Jackie lauded for spending money on fine china and elegant furniture while Nancy Reagan was condemned for doing so? Jackie was hailed for her conspicuous consumption while Nancy was derieded for it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/6 "2013-11-22T15:49:59Z")
As far as I remember reading, Jackie Kennedy didn’t spend public funds on acquiring all of that antique furniture. Instead, she convinced others to donate it to the White House. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/7 "2013-11-22T15:55:18Z")
She was also Jackie Fuckin’ Kennedy! Which Nancy Regan wasn’t! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/8 "2013-11-22T16:50:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > As far as I remember reading, Jackie Kennedy didn’t spend public funds on acquiring all of that antique furniture. Instead, she convinced others to donate it to the White House. That, and this (from the article): > [@](#): > > she looked for ways—on the White House’s limited budget— ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/9 "2013-11-22T17:05:29Z")
The article notes that she “put in place a fine arts committee to accept gifts of antique furniture that fit the White House.” My guess is that the structure they set up allowed people to take a tax write-off when they contributed furniture. But there’s also the prestige associated with having your antique in the White House. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/10 "2013-11-22T17:11:47Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > What I’ve always wondered is, why was Jackie lauded for spending money on fine china and elegant furniture while Nancy Reagan was condemned for doing so? > > Jackie was hailed for her conspicuous consumption while Nancy was derieded for it. Kennedy’s renovation applied to areas of the White House that many visitors could see and appreciate. The big fury over Reagan was the expensive china for state dinners that ordinary people could never see but drove her own glory. Noblesse oblige may have reflected a time when class differences were hurtfully omnipresent, but that notion of doing good for others was an important mitigator that has been largely lost. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/11 "2013-11-23T00:02:06Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > [Here](http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/special/renovation-1961.htm) is an article with before-and-after photos from an unofficial website about the White House. Thanks… I actually like the WH BEFORE Jackie’s renovations. One thing puzzles me…why did JFK and Jackie have separate bedrooms? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/12 "2013-11-23T00:05:04Z")
From the tours I’ve taken of mansions in places like Newport, Rhode Island, I gather that was common among the wealthy. Perhaps the reason was in case one of them was working late, they could go to bed without disturbing the other? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/13 "2013-11-23T00:05:38Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Thanks… I actually like the WH BEFORE Jackie’s renovations. Interesting. What did you like best about the pre-Jackie White House? ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/14 "2013-11-23T00:09:33Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Thanks… I actually like the WH BEFORE Jackie’s renovations. One thing puzzles me…why did JFK and Jackie have separate bedrooms? Marilyn snored? 😉 /Somebody was gonna go there. . . ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/15 "2013-11-23T01:40:16Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > /Somebody was gonna go there. . . [/SIZE] Yeah, I was gonna, but, didn’t have the gray matter to pull it off. Good job. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/16 "2013-11-23T02:29:19Z")
Considering his long history of back pain, not to mention side effects from the various medications he was on for that, he and/or Jackie may have slept better in separate beds. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/17 "2013-11-23T03:15:15Z")
In the tour that Jackie led of the redecorated White House, I remember she made a point of mentioning the names of the donors of each item. “This lovely chair was a donation from Mr. and Mrs. Rocket J. Squirrel, of Frostbite Falls, MN.” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/18 "2013-11-23T03:59:29Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Thanks… I actually like the WH BEFORE Jackie’s renovations. One thing puzzles me…why did JFK and Jackie have separate bedrooms? It was Puritanical American tradition, that the president and first lady have separate bedrooms. Sleep together?!?!?! Shocking! Scandalous! Moral outrage! Sometime later, an American president broke that tradition and became the first to sleep with (gasp!) his wife! IIRC it was Gerald Ford (? Anybody remember better?) At the time, America was scandalized, I tell you, SCANDALIZED! Well, at least certain factions in America were. ETA: Just skimmed the Wiki about Betty Ford. I’m sure now that I’m remembering right, that it was the Fords. Betty was surprisingly liberal for a Republican, and was outspokenly forward about subjects like sex, abortion, child-rearing (against corporal punishment), and everything else that sends conservatives into frothing cataplexy. She said once that if anyone had asked her how often she and Jerry had sex, she would have said “As often as possible”. (So, in other words, she actually said that.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/19 "2013-11-23T05:10:39Z")
Didn’t Mamie Eisenhower talk about liking to reach over during the night and feel the top of Ike’s bald head? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511/20 "2013-11-23T06:04:53Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > Didn’t Mamie Eisenhower talk about liking to reach over during the night and feel the top of Ike’s bald head? “That’s not my head, Mamie.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackie-kennedy-and-her-whitehouse-renovation-why/674511.md?page=2)