All the Presidents’ Children: White House Children Throughout History
All the Presidents’ Children: White House Children Throughout History
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Malia Obama and Sasha Obama arrive during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21, 2013 in Washington, D.C.Win McNamee—Getty Images
Presidential children hold a unique place in the American spotlight—witnessing history up close, learning about the presidency at the dinner table and sometimes going on to pursue their own political career.
With the inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday, his five children will become the latest additions to the list of “first kids.”
Trump’s youngest child—his son Barron—is the only one who still lives at home, though he and Melania Trump won’t immediately move into the White House, allowing him to complete the school year in New York.
Take a look at these photos of the children who lived in the spotlight of the American presidency, from George Washington to Barack Obama.
George Washington: America's first President had no biological children, but he became stepfather to the two children of the widow Martha Custis when he married her in 1759: John "Jacky" Parke Custis, left in the c. 1761 illustration above, and Martha "Patsy" Parke Custis. Both of the Custis children met with untimely ends; Jacky joined his stepfather's army but died from dysentery soon thereafter, while Martha suffered from epilepsy and died at 17.Hulton Archive—Getty ImagesAbraham Lincoln : When the Lincolns moved into the White House in 1861, Thomas "Tad" Lincoln was 7 years old. Several sources report that the President was extremely indulgent of his younger son and tolerated behavior from him and his brother Willie that scandalized the White House staff, including a notorious incident in which Tad fired his toy cannon upon the door of the Cabinet room while his father was meeting with some advisers inside.Library of CongressUlysses S. Grant:
Three of Grant's four children gathered for this multigenerational portrait taken around 1880: his only daughter Nellie, far left, his youngest son Jesse (behind her) and the eldest, Frederick, standing toward the right, with hand on hip. Jesse was an author, engineer and world traveler. Frederick served with his father on the major battlefields of the Civil War. Nellie was married twice, the first time to a dissolute diplomat whose death left her a wealthy woman.Library of CongressTheodore Roosevelt: The Roosevelt family poses for the camera two years after moving into the White House. They are, from left, Quentin, who would die as a fighter pilot in World War I; President Roosevelt; Ted, a highly decorated soldier who saw service in both World Wars; Archie, a businessman; Alice, the only child from Roosevelt's first marriage; Kermit, an adventurer and soldier of fortune; First Lady Edith; and Ethel, who served as a nurse in France during World War I and later became involved with the Red Cross.Hulton Deutsch—Corbis/Getty ImagesFranklin Roosevelt: F.D.R.'s slightly extended family sat for this photo in 1928, around the time when he was running for governor of New York. They are, from left: Elliott, a war hero and author; future First Lady Eleanor; Curtis Dall (husband to Anna, a journalist, who sits in front of him); John, seated, a retailer and banker; James, standing, White House secretary for his father and a six-term Congressman; future President Roosevelt; Franklin Jr., who also served in Congress; and F.D.R.'s mother Sara Delano Roosevelt. The Roosevelts also had a sixth child who died in infancy.Bettmann—Bettmann ArchiveHarry S. Truman: Margaret Truman, left, the only child of Harry and Bess, pursued a career as a singer during the period her father served as President. Later in life, she enjoyed a successful career as a writer of murder mysteries, historical works and biographies of her parents. In the 1952 photo above, she joins her father in Kalispell, Mont., where he had been invited to throw a ceremonial switch, marking the start-up of the Hungry Horse Dam.George Skadding—Time Life Pictures/Getty ImagesJohn F. Kennedy: J.F.K. claps while his daughter Caroline and son John Jr. dance in the Oval Office in 1962. John Jr. was a magazine publisher, an assistant district attorney and a staple of the social pages and tabloids until his untimely death in a plane crash in 1999. Caroline has devoted her life to writing and philanthropy. More recently, she served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan under President Barack Obama.Estate of Stanley Tretick—Corbis/Getty ImagesRichard M. Nixon: Julie, left, and Tricia present their father with a mini surfboard on the lawn of the White House in 1969. The elder Julie married John Eisenhower, grandson of the 34th President in 1968, and pursued a career as a writer. Tricia's marriage to Ed Cox was the last wedding to take place on White House grounds. She has remained out of the public eye since her father resigned the presidency.Historical—Corbis/Getty ImagesGerald Ford: The Ford family gathers in the Oval Office on Aug. 9, 1974, the day that Gerald was sworn in as President. They are, from left: John, a future businessman; Steven, an actor (his credits include Black Hawk Down and When Harry Met Sally); First Lady Betty; President Ford; Susan, a writer and photographer (and the only presidential child whose senior prom was held at the White House); daughter-in-law Gayle; and Gayle's husband Michael, now a minister.APJimmy Carter:
Rosalynn and Jimmy had four children, but their three eldest, all boys, were on their own by the time the Carters moved into the White House in 1977. It was their daughter Amy, 9 years old when her father was inaugurated, who captured America's attention. Since leaving the White House, she has worked as an artist and activist.John Duricka—APRonald Reagan: A 1967 photograph captures Ronald, Nancy and their two children, Patricia, 13, and Ronald Jr., 8, as they take stock of their new home, the California governor's mansion. Ronald Jr. pursued careers as a ballet dancer and journalist; Patti was an outspoken opponent of many of her father's policies. During his first marriage to Jane Wyman, Reagan fathered two children, Maureen, an actress and public servant, and Christine, who died in infancy. They also adopted Michael, who became a popular syndicated talk-show host.Walt Zeboski—APGeorge H.W. Bush: The first President Bush and his wife Barbara have five living children, all of whom appear in this 1986 group shot taken in front of the family's Kennebunkport, Maine, home. Neil, a businessman, is at far left in the red jacket; George W., the 43rd President, is seated third from left; Marvin, an investment banker, is in the back row in the Dodgers jacket; Dorothy, known as "Doro," is seated next to the child on the bicycle; and Jeb, the former governor of Florida, is toward the right with his children in a blue and red jacket.Jean-Louis Atlan—Sygma/Getty ImagesBill Clinton: Chelsea Clinton, the only child of Bill and Hillary Clinton, was 12 years old when her father was elected President. A graduate of Stanford, she has worked in consulting and investment banking. During Hillary Clinton's two bids for president, Chelsea appeared frequently on the campaign trail and introduced Hillary at both the 2008 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions.Greg Gibson—APGeorge W. Bush: Fraternal twins Jenna (seated on the stone wall) and Barbara were born minutes apart in 1981. Jenna Bush Hager is now an author and correspondent for the Today show. Bush is the CEO and co-founder of Global Health Corps.Christopher Morris—VII for TIMEBarack Obama: The Obamas' children, from left, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, are the youngest children to live in the White House since the Kennedy administration. Sasha now attends the Sidwell Friends School. Malia graduated from high school in 2016 and is taking a gap year before attending Harvard.Jae C. Hong—AP
