See the Year the Eisenhowers Returned the Easter Egg Roll to the White House
See the Year the Eisenhowers Returned the Easter Egg Roll to the White House
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Caption from LIFE. Trio of rollers, more determined than most, juggle eggs away form the crowd. Margaret Mintner (foreground) has just lobbed hers into the lead.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
On its face, the annual White House Easter Egg Roll is an occasion for the commingling of adorable children and fluffy bunnies—of either the four-legged or the full-grown-adult-in-costume variety. But it’s hard to imagine anything taking place on White House grounds without the undercurrent of politics, even if the majority of attendees, three-feet-high and preoccupied with rolling eggs, remain unaware.
The Easter Egg Roll has twice been a venue for conversations about inclusion and diversity. In 2006, around 100 gay and lesbian couples and their children attended the event, despite the shouts of a small group of protesters, to make a statement about the different kinds of families that make up America. During President Obama’s first year in office, he formally invited gay and lesbian families to participate.
More than half a century earlier, during his first year in office, President Eisenhower restored the tradition after a twelve-year hiatus. On that day in 1953, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was disturbed to see that black children were peering in at the festivities from beyond the gates, instead of taking part. The following year, she invited African-American familes to join for the first time since the tradition officially began in 1878, a small but symbolic blip on the path to integration.
But on that April morning, attendees were mostly focused on figuring out what, exactly, an egg roll was. As a TIME briefing reported, “No one seemed to know what to do at an egg roll. Some bowled eggs across the greensward; others tossed them high in the air with occasional disasters.” The first aid station, consequently, was quite busy.
Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizabethRonk.
Caption from LIFE. In spring clothes, Eisenhower's grandchildren display their finery. Baby Susan, held by her mother Barbara, wears springlike pink. LIttle Barbara Anne, cocking a wink, has some "big girl" gloves and a red-ribboned hat. David has an Eton cap and the snappy bow tie currently fancied by five-year-old pace-setters.Mark Kauffman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Sisterly touch is given David Eisenhower's collar by his sister Barbara. Their little sister Susan who is only 1, was too young to attend the egg rolling.Mark Kauffman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesPresident Dwight D. Eisenhower holding his granddaughter, during the White House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Hostess and host try a quick egg roll in a clearing in crowd. The jam was tight and David had to warn one spectator that he was standing on an egg.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWhite House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWhite House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Trio of rollers, more determined than most, juggle eggs away form the crowd. Margaret Mintner (foreground) has just lobbed hers into the lead.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWhite House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWhite House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWhite House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Almost crying, David tells his mother that his eggs have been lost in the crowd. "We've got plenty of them," said the President sympathetically.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWhite House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Polite but wary, David dubiously listens to pleas of onlookers who want souvenir eggs. He gave away five, then decided it was high time to stop.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWhite House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. As party ends, debris litters lawn. Perusing this mess the White House gardener said ruefully, "Well, eggshell has a certain amount of lime in it." George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWhite House Easter egg roll, April 1953.George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
