# Last teenage boy to live in White House?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 25, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031 "2001-08-25T02:02:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/1 "2001-08-25T02:02:44Z")

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We’ve had some teenage girls living in the White House lately (Chelsea Clinton and Amy Carter), but who was the most recent teenage boy to live in the White House? Anybody since Tad Lincoln?

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### Author: ![gorewonfla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/da6949/32.png) [@gorewonfla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorewonfla)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/2 "2001-08-25T02:30:48Z")

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Steve Ford was 18 when Gerry became president in 1974. He went off to become a ranchhand in Montana instead of going to college, which garnered some publicity. Frankly, I thought all the Ford kids were screwed up.

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### Author: ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2001, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/3 "2001-08-25T02:53:55Z")

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Not many teenage boys recently, but there have been some since Tad Lincoln. Besides Steve Ford, here is the list, plus their ages while their father’s were President:

[li]John Aspinwall Roosevelt, 17-29[/li][li]John Coolidge, 17-23[/li][li]Calvin Coolidge, Jr, 15-16 (died while father was still in office)[/li][li]Charles Taft, 12-16[/li][li]Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., 14-22[/li][li]Kermit Roosevelt, 12-20[/li][li]Archibald Roosevelt, 7-15[/li]  
…screw this. They had way too many kids back at the turn of the century. I thought this would be a quick list and I am proven wrong.

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### Author: ![Lockfist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@Lockfist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockfist)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/4 "2001-08-25T03:54:28Z")

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Stupid question - I suppose Kermit Roosevelt was the inspiration for the famous Frog of the same name ? Or was Kermit a popular name until the Frog came about ?

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### Author: ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2001, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/5 "2001-08-25T04:02:43Z")

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I doubt popular, but a friend from childhood (we were both born in 1964) was named Kermit Cline. He preferred KC until the Sunshine Band showed up.

I’ve head the name off and on over the years, all prior to the Muppets.

Sir Rhosis

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### Author: ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2001, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/6 "2001-08-25T06:38:14Z")

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Kermit Roosevelt was the fellow who reinstalled the Shah in Iran for the United States in the 1950s while working for the CIA.

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### Author: ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/7 "2001-08-25T16:09:00Z")

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Bill Clinton

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### Author: ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/8 "2001-08-27T07:43:44Z")

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**Off Topic:**  
What a great way to get chicks!!!

**On Topic (But slight hijack):**  
Wouldn’t Gore have had a teenage son in the White House had he gotten the presidency?

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### Author: ![gorewonfla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/da6949/32.png) [@gorewonfla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorewonfla)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/9 "2001-08-27T14:12:40Z")

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Double yes.

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### Author: ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/10 "2001-08-27T16:26:07Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Kermit Roosevelt was the fellow who reinstalled the Shah in Iran for the United States in the 1950s while working for the CIA.

…along with Norman Schwartzkopf, Sr.

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### Author: ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/11 "2001-08-27T16:48:28Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Sofa King \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Kermit Roosevelt was the fellow who reinstalled the Shah in Iran for the United States in the 1950s while working for the CIA.
> 
> …along with Norman Schwartzkopf, Sr. \*\*

…who was also the lead investigator into the disappearance of the Lindberg baby.

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### Author: ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/12 "2001-08-27T17:14:58Z")

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I read an interview with Steve Ford, in which he said that actually, being the President’s son completely sucks for getting dates, because you’ve got several highly attentive people following you around 24/7…

The article was for the benefit of Chelsea Clinton, with advice from prior White House teens (mostly Steve Ford and Amy Carter). Two main pieces of advice: get on the good side of whoever controls the kitchen, so you can get food in the middle of the night if you want it, and don’t even try to lose your bodyguards. They really, really hate that. Steve lost his carful o’ guards once when he was out on a date (ran a red light to get away from them).

Rumor has it his next few dates weren’t too fun…

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### Author: ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/13 "2001-08-27T19:43:37Z")

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Having people watch you 24/7 didn’t stop one of the Bush girls from drinking illegaly.

The SS guys said it was none of their business.

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### Author: ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/14 "2001-08-27T19:50:41Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \*  
> \*\*and don’t even try to lose your bodyguards. They really, really hate that. Steve lost his carful o’ guards once when he was out on a date (ran a red light to get away from them).
> 
> Rumor has it his next few dates weren’t too fun… \*\*

I remember another Steve Ford story. He was doing his ranchhand job, somewhere on the ranch in a snowstorm with his Secret Service agent and some other ranchhands. They were looking for some lost cattle when they decided to mount up on horses and look. The SS guy figured that Steve would be safe from assassination, and stayed behind.

As they were returning, they thought of a joke. They fired off some rifle shots just out of sight of the house. Steve then rode his horse slung over, and they rode back toward the house. The SS agent was looking after hearing the shots. Seeing Ford’s apparently dead body, he exclaimed, “My job!”

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### Author: ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/15 "2001-08-27T23:09:28Z")

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Steve Ford was also no innocent kid then…his standard pick up line was “how’d you like to make it in the White House”.

His success rate was far and away above average.

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### Author: ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2001, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-teenage-boy-to-live-in-white-house/78031/16 "2001-08-28T00:28:48Z")

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I think I remember Susan Ford saying that it really sucked for getting dates-she’d go out with a friend, and the next day the papers would have them engaged! Scared some people off!

> [@](#):
>
> As they were returning, they thought of a joke. They fired off some rifle shots just out of sight of the house. Steve then rode his horse slung over, and they rode back toward the house. The SS agent was looking after hearing the shots. Seeing Ford’s apparently dead body, he exclaimed, “My job!”

As immature and mean as that sounds, Steven Ford sounds like a REALLY fun guy to know.
