Scope and Content Note
The Presidential and Inaugural Collection spans the years 1835-2021, with the bulk of the material dating from 1944 to 2021. The collection primarily documents presidential inaugurations and the events that have historically surrounded them, including balls and dinners, but the collection is not inclusive of every presidential inauguration. The collection includes commemorative presidential inauguration buttons, cutouts of candidates' faces, COVID-19 face masks from the 2021 inauguration, a Metrorail pass, programs, and tickets, as well as invitations to balls, lunches, and other official events staged by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. The Washington Assemblies file includes invitations to balls celebrating George Washington's birthday.
The Kathleen D. Harney files pertain to her time serving as chief of the White House Press Releases Office, during four presidential administrations between 1944 and 1967. Harney worked in the White House library where she was in charge of press release files, and organized and maintained presidential statements. Her files contain Christmas cards, commemorative programs, correspondence, invitations, photographs, and other ephemera.