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110-617: Since 1954, this event has marked the start of month-long festivities known as the Pageant of Peace . The line of smaller trees representing the U.S. states , the five U.S. territories , and the District of Columbia around the National Christmas Tree is referred to as the Pathway to Peace . The idea of a decorated, outdoor national Christmas tree originated with Frederick Morris Feiker. Feiker

220-486: A " Singing Christmas Tree " (a choir on an inclined grandstand holding candles, forming the triangular shape of a Christmas tree) formed a backdrop behind him. President John F. Kennedy did not light the tree in December 1961, because his father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. , had suffered a major stroke ; so Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson lit the tree. An electronic console nearby picked up musical sounds from performers on

330-528: A 25-foot (7.6 m) tall blue spruce . The National Park Service believes this tree was obtained from the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capitol, an independent federal agency, in the spring of 1931. During the ceremony that year, the button President Hoover pressed at 5 p.m. was not actually connected to the electricity but set off a buzzer to alert another official to actually light

440-406: A 48-foot (15 m) tall balsam fir as the first National Christmas Tree. Middlebury College alumni paid to have it shipped via express to Washington. The branches on the lower 10 feet (3.0 m) of the tree were damaged in transit, so cut branches from a local evergreen were tied to the tree to restore its appearance. Feiker put together a group of local civic organizations to erect the tree in

550-576: A base of golden stars. The trees on the Pathway to Peace, however, returned to multicolored lights. For the first time in the history of the tree lighting ceremony, a non-American choir (the Festival Singers of Toronto ) performed at the opening event. The National Christmas Tree used a blue, white, and yellow lighting scheme in 1968. When President Johnson lit the National Christmas Tree, this caused another Christmas tree to be lit remotely by radio control in

660-425: A brilliant white star. South of the tree — leading toward it in a straight line from E Street NW — was a "Pathway of Peace." On either side of the Pathway stood smaller Christmas trees, decorated with lights and a variety of ornaments, from U.S. states and territories as well as foreign embassies. Man-made snow covered the grounds. Wooden boardwalks were used to guide visitors on the Pathway as well as elsewhere around

770-488: A button at the foot of the tree which lit the lights and electric candles adorning the tree, but he did not speak. A searchlight from the nearby Washington Monument was trained on the tree to help illuminate it as well. The Coolidge family invited citizens of the city to sing Christmas carols on the Ellipse after dark. Between 5,000 and 6,000 people thronged the park, joined by 3,000 more people by 9 p.m. The crowds were joined by

880-497: A display with life-size papier-mâché figures and live animals including some sheep, a calf, and a burro . A third display was provided by the Christian Service Corps (a nondenominational Christian organization whose members mixed public service with missionary work). The Christian Service Corps display included live actors in period costumes, a musical soundtrack, three camels , a cow, a donkey, and 15 sheep. In 1975,

990-508: A further 74 percent reduction in energy use. A petting zoo was added to the Pageant of Peace for the first time. The 1977 living tree did not last, however. January 1978 brought several severe rain and snow storms to the Washington, D.C., region, along with heavy winds, heavy precipitation, and extremes in temperatures. On January 26, 62 mph (100 km/h; 54 kn) winds whipped through

1100-718: A hereditary member of the Society of the Cincinnati . After graduating from Columbia, he served as private secretary to his father for two years. He then returned to Columbia and attended Columbia Law School , graduating in 1873. From 1873 to 1874 he was aide-de-camp to Governor John Adams Dix with the rank of colonel . He was elected to twelve terms as a member of the New York State Assembly , representing Putnam County , in 1874 , 1876 , 1877 , 1878 , 1879 , 1889 , 1890 , 1891 , 1893 , 1894 , 1895 and 1896 . He

1210-589: A live tree be used instead. Feiker, accompanied by T. H. Ormesby of the Society for Electrical Development and Republican Representative Hamilton Fish II of New York, extended the invitation to light the tree to Coolidge on December 6, which he again accepted. Will H. Hays , chairman of the Republican National Committee , was also chairman of Amawalk Nursery, and Hays arranged for a live, 30-year-old, 35-foot (11 m) Norway spruce to be delivered to

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1320-499: A live tree. The letter-writing campaign intensified in 1969. Prodded by environmentalists, a much larger letter-writing campaign ("more letters and phone calls of protest than in the previous 10 years" a Park Service spokesperson said) occurred in the two months prior to the 1972 tree lighting ceremony, which prompted the National Park Service to bow to public pressure and plant a live tree. A 42-foot Colorado blue spruce from

1430-450: A memo to the Board of Trade proposing a Christmas-themed "Pageant of Peace" to expand the tree lighting ceremony into a program filled with light, music, and art with international focus on the theme of PEACE but not emphasizing any particular religion. The peace theme was intended to echo the words of the angels ("Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men") announcing

1540-404: A music festival at Lisner Auditorium on December 26. Just 16 U.S. states provide trees for the Pathway of Peace. President Kennedy did light the 1962 tree (on December 17), although the changing lights used in 1961 were not used again. The number of Christmas trees on the Pathway of Peace now numbered 52, including all 50 states, Guam , and Puerto Rico . Although the 1963 tree lighting ceremony

1650-444: A permit to display a nativity scene just beyond the service road encircling the Ellipse. The Barkdoll display included four sheep, a donkey , and a Holstein calf . An American Legion post from Hyattsville, Maryland , erected a similar but smaller display on the opposite side of the Ellipse. Energy conserving lights were used on the National Christmas Tree in 1974, however. More than 2,000 tiny amber and white lights (which used just

1760-662: A selection of Christmas music for a half-hour before the president emerged to speak briefly and light the tree; a member of the Boy Scouts of America and either the Girl Scouts of the USA or the Camp Fire Girls would greet the president on behalf of the people of the city of Washington; after the president returned to the White House, the band would play more music for a half-hour; and then

1870-466: A serious heart attack on September 24, 1955, and was recuperating at his farm near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania , so the tree was lit remotely once more. 1955 was also the first year that Hargrove Display Decorators began decorating the National Christmas Tree. Ten minutes after the tree was lit, the star and many lights near the top of the tree went out. Earl Hargrove quickly ascended a ladder and discovered why: A string of lights had come unplugged. The problem

1980-450: A third of the wattage of pre-1973 strings of lights), as well as braided gold-colored rope and large gold ornaments, were used. The Pageant of Peace continued to feature just 57 trees, but there was competition over the nativity scene (which was no longer part of the festival). Barkdoll's Christian Heritage Association provided a creche with 2-foot (0.61 m) high plaster figures and no live animals. The Hyattsville American Legion provided

2090-582: A way to encourage people to purchase more electric Christmas lights and thus use electricity, and Feiker suggested that President Calvin Coolidge personally light a tree as a way of giving Christmas lights prominence and social cachet. Vermont Republican Senator Frank L. Greene accompanied Feiker to the White House, where they successfully convinced Coolidge to light the tree. Feiker arranged for Paul Moody , president of Middlebury College in Vermont , to donate

2200-463: The Thirteen Colonies . An additional 47 smaller trees formed the Pathway to Peace, representing the rest of the states, U.S. territories, POW/MIAs, and senior citizens. The 12,000 total light bulbs and 2-mile (3.2 km) of electrical cord used 40 percent less wattage than the year before. Once more, three different organizations provided three different nativity scenes away from the pageant. With

2310-552: The 1939 ceremony. The tradition of the "Singing Tree" was discontinued in this year, however. The tradition of using a briefly-transplanted tree occurred again in 1940. The 1940 tree was a 34-foot (10 m) high red cedar. More than 700 hand-colored lights, 700 ornaments, and six blue-green mercury-vapor lights were used to light and decorate it. Once more, the tree was taken from along the Mount Vernon Memorial Parkway and replanted after January 1. In 1941, however,

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2420-493: The 1971 National Christmas Tree. Protesters briefly interrupted the beginning of Agnew's speech, chanting for peace, before Agnew and seven-year-old Gary Morris (a child in the institutional care of the city) lit the tree. On December 15, Women Strike for Peace was granted permission by Judge Joseph Cornelius Waddy of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to place an anti-war display next to

2530-529: The 5:30 pm tree lighting ceremony was a half-hour concert by the United States Marine Band and the 80-voice Justin Lawrie Choir. Also preceding the event — but not part of the planned performances — was the escape by several sheep from the life-size nativity scene. They ran into the nearby rush-hour traffic (one even entered a local drugstore) until rounded up by Metropolitan Motorcycle Police, placing

2640-489: The Bicentennial year ending, the 1976 National Christmas Tree was decorated with 2,500 red lamps (rather than strings of tree lights), which represented the theme "Youth." That year's Pageant of Peace was also truncated, presenting live entertainment only through December 23. However, there were now 60 trees in the Pathway to Peace. By December 1976, it was clear that the National Christmas Tree planted just three years earlier

2750-505: The Commission's plan. Two 23-foot (7.0 m) high Fraser firs from North Carolina were planted to the 18 to 23 feet (5.5 to 7.0 m) east and west of the Jackson statue. The trees were planted just a few weeks before the tree lighting ceremony, and the western tree was chosen to begin the alternating use of the trees since it was more visible from the first family's living quarters. During

2860-635: The Epiphany Church and First Congregational Church choirs, which sang carols, and the Marine Band, which played Christmas-themed music. The singing ended shortly before midnight. After the white residents of the city had dispersed, African American residents of the city were permitted on the park grounds to see the National Christmas Tree. An outdoor Christian worship service was held, and a mass choir composed of signing groups from area community centers sang more Christmas carols. An illuminated Christian cross

2970-412: The National Christmas Tree had a Bicentennial theme. The tree was decorated with 4,600 red, white, and blue lights; red, white, and blue ornaments, and silver garland; and topped by a 4-foot (1.2 m) high gold and green Liberty Bell . The low-watt Christmas tree lights were specially designed by General Electric. In a circle around the National Christmas Tree were 13 tall evergreen trees, symbolizing

3080-501: The National Christmas Tree was relocated to just inside the south fence on the South Lawn of the White House. President Roosevelt personally made the request after having discussed the issue with Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt on December 24, 1940, so that the ceremony could be a more "homey" experience. Two live, 35-foot (11 m) high Oriental spruce trees were taken from the White House grounds itself and planted 100 feet (30 m) north of

3190-402: The National Christmas Tree, but they did not have time to erect a display before the lighting ceremony. The tree-topper that year resembled a white snowflake, while the tree itself was decorated with red and white bulbs in clusters amid a wider blanket of gold lights. There were 56 trees in Pageant of Peace, plus an extra tree for POW/MIAs. Vice President Agnew again lit the tree in 1972. Assisting

3300-531: The National Community Christmas Tree stood alone on Sherman Plaza. All plants but the National Christmas Tree had been removed from the area in the fall and the ground regraded as part of a widening of E Street NW. During early 1934, the tree was cut down and replaced with double row of willow oaks . In 1934, the National Christmas Tree was relocated to Lafayette Park north of the White House. The 1931 Norway spruce had again become damaged, and

3410-452: The National Park Service purchased two "Koster" blue spruce cultivars to plant on the west side of Sherman Plaza with the intent of alternating use each year between trees. But when it became clear later that year that the National Christmas Tree would have to be moved from Sherman Plaza, the agency asked the Commission of Fine Arts (which had partial jurisdiction over planting decisions around

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3520-466: The National Park Service, chopped off its branches and wired many of them to the lower part of the existing tree to cover up the damage. The tree's plight was so obvious that the public made 112 offers for a new living tree to the government by early December. The 1974 tree was removed and used for the Yule log in 1977. An anonymous resident of Potomac, Maryland donated a 34-foot (10 m) tall blue spruce as

3630-460: The Pageant of Peace, with another 75 evergreen trees for decoration. The trees were again placed in the shape of a giant "V" rather than two parallel rows. The American Mining Congress declined to supply the smaller trees in 1972, so the state of Pennsylvania agreed to do so. Former President Harry S. Truman died on December 26, 1972. All performances at the Pageant of Peace were cancelled on December 28 (the national day of mourning for Truman), although

3740-418: The Pathway of Peace were alternatively lit in all-green or all-blue lights, and were arranged in an arc around the National Christmas Tree rather than lining the path to it. The following year, the National Christmas Tree was lit with blue lights and encircled with strings of red and white lights, and decorated with gold balls. The tree-topper that year was not a star but a 4-foot (1.2 m) tall gold spire with

3850-616: The Pathway's 12-foot (3.7 m) tall Red Pine trees from eastern Ohio. The 1969 ceremony was interrupted by about 200 individuals protesting the Vietnam War, who repeatedly heckled the president during his short speech and who temporarily planted an 8-foot (2.4 m) tall "peace tree" a few yards from the National Christmas Tree. Eight adults and a youth were arrested during the event for disorderly conduct . The 1970 National Christmas Tree suffered several near-disasters. The 78-foot (24 m) tall blue spruce from South Dakota 's Black Hills

3960-598: The Sunset Lake Nursery near Shickshinny, Pennsylvania , was donated by the National Arborist Association and planted in the Ellipse close to the Zero Milestone just east of the central north–south axis of the White House. The tree arrived in the city via flatbed truck and was planted on October 11, 1973. Because the tree had been badly damaged when it fell off the flatbed truck, the tree's life span

4070-599: The Supreme Court Stanley Forman Reed ; and Associate Justice Robert H. Jackson . Although warned that it was a security risk, Roosevelt and Churchill remained on the portico for the entire hour-long program. The crowd was kept at least 330 feet (100 m) from the White House porch. For the first time in its history, the National Community Christmas Tree was not lit in 1942 due to the need to conserve power and observe security restrictions on outdoor lighting and for security reasons not lit again until after

4180-534: The United States in 1965 and witnessed the tree lighting ceremony, the tree once more featured multicolored (blue, green, and white) lights. The 53 trees on the Pathway of Peace that year were lit with red and white bulbs. This was also the first year that the American Mining Congress, a coalition of coal mining companies, began providing the trees of the Pathway of Peace. In 1966, the 53 Christmas trees of

4290-521: The Vice President was Eric Watt, 10-year-old son of future Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt . More than 9,000 green bulbs, 1,000 clear bulbs, and 250 5-inch (13 cm) globe bulbs were used to decorate the tree. The U.S. Army supplied floodlights which also helped to illuminate the tree, which was kept lit 24 hours a day. There were 57 trees representing the 50 U.S. states and territories at

4400-523: The White House) for permission to plant the two trees to the southeast and southwest of the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square. The Commission opposed the plan, and suggested that two fir trees be planted east and west of the statue instead. For a time, the National Park Service hoped to plant two trees of an undetermined species on the Ellipse near the White House, but in the end acceded to

4510-421: The White House. The annual lighting ceremony for the National Community Christmas Tree expanded at a fast pace in the 1950s. In 1953, The New York Times reported that millions of Americans were watching the ceremony on television. There were also pressures to expand the event. For roughly 15 years, the ceremony had remained largely the same: a local choir would sing some carols; a military service band would play

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4620-447: The agency feared the tree had suffered extensive root damage, and would not survive. The National Park Service undertook a lengthy study to find a species of tree that could thrive in the climate and soil conditions of the capital and better withstand the annual decoration process. Agency officials traveled more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) to find a tree that met their specifications. A 30-foot (9.1 m) tall blue spruce, located at

4730-520: The appointment of a political aide who had no relevant experience. Roosevelt then nominated Fish, who was promptly confirmed. He resigned from the Treasury in 1908 to run for the United States House of Representatives against Andrew C. Zabriskie . He defeated Zabriskie and was elected to represent New York's 21st district and served for a single term from March 4, 1909, until March 3, 1911. He

4840-619: The birth of Jesus to shepherds as described in the New Testament . The concept evolved into a three-week-long series of nightly performances and religious observances. The Board of Trade was attracted to the idea of a pageant because of waning public interest in the tree lighting ceremony, although the pageant would require that the Christmas tree be moved off the White House grounds and the tree lighting ceremony shifted from Christmas Eve to earlier in December. President Dwight Eisenhower approved

4950-410: The campus of George Washington University . Foreign embassies were not invited to participate in the 1958 Pathway to Peace after festival organizers came to believe that they were imposing on the legations. But the embassies were invited to participate again in 1959, and did so. 1959 also saw festival organizers dye the grass green for the first time. When President Eisenhower lit the tree on December 23,

5060-645: The capital. The tree arrived in the city on December 13 and was planted on December 17 on the west side of Sherman Plaza — a patio, garden, and public square just south of the Treasury Building and its adjacent Alexander Hamilton Place. The tree was planted by the American Forestry Association and decorated with 1,000 red, white, and green lights and white electric candles again provided by the Electric League of Washington. The organization donated

5170-452: The carol for the Coolidges, accompanied by buglers and flute provided by the U.S. Army Band. Over the next few years, the annual National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony changed in only minor ways such as the timing and the use of illumination. The lighting ceremony was pushed back to 6 p.m. in 1925 to better accommodate children's bedtimes. In 1926, a flare was fired into the air as

5280-540: The center of the Ellipse and decorate it, and the U.S. electrical industry donated $ 5,000 worth of electrical cables (which were buried under the Ellipse and provided the tree with electricity). The site for the tree was personally approved by Grace Coolidge . Arrangements were also made to have 3,000 city school children present to sing Christmas carols and the United States Marine Band to play music. The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) agreed to broadcast

5390-421: The crowd, beginning a tradition of a brief presidential speech during the ceremony. NBC broadcast a selection of Christmas carols from speakers placed around the tree from 9 p.m. until midnight. In 1928, the time of the lighting ceremony was again moved to 8 p.m. That year, the Christmas lights were replaced completely by colored floodlights. An inspection of the National Community Christmas Tree in 1929 found that

5500-533: The decoration process, scaffolding was erected around the tree instead of placing ladders into the branches; less heavy strings of lights with lower wattage were used; and a low fence was erected around the tree so that its roots would not be trampled. Although much of the program remained unchanged that year, other than the ceremony reverting to its 6 p.m. timing, the 1929 event was notable for another unique reason as well. That evening, as President Herbert Hoover and Mrs. Lou Henry Hoover were entertaining children from

5610-530: The event on radio . The tree was decorated with more than 2,500 electric bulbs in red, white, and green donated by the Electric League of Washington. At 3 p.m. on December 24, 1923, a 100-voice choir from the First Congregational Church assembled on the South Portico of the White House and began a two-hour concert of Christmas carols. At 5 p.m. (dusk) on Christmas Eve , President Coolidge touched

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5720-399: The exhibits and performances, with bumper-to-bumper traffic on nearby streets as people drove by to view the trees, and the Pageant proved so popular that it was extended for two days. The total cost of the event was set at $ 30,000 (about $ 253,000 in 2011 inflation-adjusted dollars), most of which was provided by payment in kind although the Board of Trade contributed $ 7,500 in cash. Most of

5830-610: The fence. The beginning of an actual pageant was the brainchild of Edward M. Kirby , public relations counsel for the National Capitol Committee of the Washington Board of Trade . The idea came to him after flying into the District of Columbia in early December 1953 and feeling disappointment at looking out the windows of the plane to see that the city had none of the visual impact of other major metropolises at Christmastime. A few weeks later, December 29, Kirby submitted

5940-486: The first year of the use of recorded music, with loudspeakers concealed in the branches of the tree and connected to a phonograph in a nearby police booth to play Christmas carols every night from 6 to 10 p.m. until New Year's Day. The "Singing Tree" was a hit with the public, and although music and choirs continued to perform each year thereafter, the tradition of the Singing Tree lasted for several more decades. In 1933,

6050-510: The goods and services that made the first Pageant of Peace possible were donated. Local architect Leon Chatelain Jr., designed the site. Michigan State College provided the tree and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway the transportation to bring the tree to Washington. Pepco supplied the Christmas lights and power. The Hargrove Display Decorators of Cheverly, Maryland , provided

6160-419: The grass look green, no dye was used in 1963 due to the unusual snow that covered the grounds. Small changes in the tree lighting scheme and pageant occurred throughout the 1960s. Instead of multicolored lights, in 1964 the tree was lit with 5,000 red bulbs. It was decorated with 500 large gold ornaments, and instead of a star was topped with a white cross. But when British Prime Minister Harold Wilson visited

6270-564: The grounds, searched and watched over by U.S. Army soldiers, D.C. Metropolitan Police , and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation . Another 2,000 to 3,000 people waited outside the fence. On the portico of the White House with Roosevelt and Churchill stood Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, which had been occupied by Nazi Germany on April 9, 1940, and their three children; Roosevelt confidant Harry Hopkins ; Attorney General Francis Biddle ; Associate Justice of

6380-537: The home of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Myers of York, Pennsylvania , was chosen as the new National Christmas Tree planted in the Ellipse in 1978. (The Myers offered to donate the tree, but were paid $ 1,500 for it.) A second tree, an 18-foot (5.5 m) tall blue spruce purchased from a nursery in New Jersey, was planted in a corner of the Ellipse in early summer 1978 for use as a spare in case the new transplanted tree did not survive. New, stronger cables were used to help brace

6490-645: The home of his daughter, Julia, in Aiken, South Carolina , on January 15, 1936. He was buried at Saint Philip's Church Cemetery in Garrison. Through his daughter Julia, he was the grandfather of William Lawrence Breese Jr. (1909–2000), founder and chairman of the Longview Foundation for Education in World Affairs and International Understanding, and Hamilton Fish Breese (1910–1920). Through his son Hamilton, he

6600-515: The light was reflected on the tree. To further conserve energy, the National Christmas Tree was lit not 24 hours a day but only from 5 to 10 p.m. Public pressure on the Park Service and the energy crisis also led to changes in the 1973 Pageant of Peace. The Park Service used no cut trees, but instead obtained 57 live trees and planted them on the Ellipse. After the Pageant of Peace ended, the living trees were replanted in D.C. area parks or donated to

6710-628: The lights for the tree, changing the lighting set every year. Alvin L.Hart was the GE illuminating engineer who designed the National Tree from 1963 until 1972. In addition to the life-size nativity scene, Yule log, stage, and live reindeer, the International Paper Company donated 80 small cut Christmas trees decorated with white lights and erected in the shape of a "Cross of Peace" on the Ellipse. Although green dye had been used since 1959 to make

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6820-621: The local community at the White House, a fire broke out in the West Wing . While Mrs. Hoover quietly moved the children into the East Wing and safety, the president and other men rushed into the West Wing and retrieved furniture, historic items, files and important papers, Hoover's personal effects, and a puppy that was to be given as a gift to one of the children. The West Wing, including the Oval Office ,

6930-416: The loose confederation of business, religious, and civic groups which had organized the 1954 pageant. Spurring the legal incorporation of the group was the projected cost of the 1955 event, which was estimated to be between $ 35,000 and $ 50,000. The group was incorporated on September 30, 1955, with the Board of Trade providing the seed money for the new nonprofit organization . President Eisenhower had suffered

7040-446: The nation's capitol (and a tornado damaged homes in nearby Quantico, Virginia ). Park Service officials feared the National Christmas Tree would be toppled, and attached guy-wires to the tree to keep it upright. But despite the additional bracing, the tree was nearly uprooted in mid-afternoon and leaned at a 45 degree angle for several hours until workers were able to get it upright again. A National Park Service spokesperson said that

7150-407: The nativity scene. Twenty-seven U.S. states and territories as well as 23 embassies set up peace symbols, plaques, and small Christmas trees along the Pathway of Peace. The National Park Service provided animal stalls, metal fencing, stage, and wooden walkways. The American Ice Co. provided the man-made snow. A formal organization, Pageant of Peace, Inc., was formed in 1955 to take over the event from

7260-526: The new National Christmas tree. The new tree was planted on the Ellipse on November 3, 1977. President Jimmy Carter , assisted by his daughter, Amy , lit the tree during a ceremony on December 15, 1977. The tree was decorated with 2,000 five-watt green lamps (not bulbs) symbolizing "Hope," as well as 500 "twinkle lamps" and white ornaments. Due to the ongoing energy crisis, the tree was only lit from dusk to midnight from December 15 to December 26, and from dusk to 10 p.m. from December 27 to January 2. This achieved

7370-431: The newly electrified village of Nulato, Alaska (one of 59 rural Eskimo villages to receive electricity for the first time that year). In 1969, the number of trees on the Pathway to Peace expanded to 57, to include all American unincorporated territories and the District of Columbia. The National Christmas Tree that year was decorated in bands of red and white lights, and was at the top of a huge capital letter "V" formed by

7480-486: The parents of: After his first wife's death, he married Florence Delaplaine (1849–1926) in 1912. Florence, a widow of both James Beekman (1848–1902), a great-grandson of James Beekman , and Gustav Amsinck (1837–1909), was the daughter of Isaac C. Delaplaine and Matilda (née Post) Delaplaine (1821–1907). In the late 19th century, he purchased the Rock Lawn and Carriage House at Garrison, New York . Fish died at

7590-552: The plan on November 4, 1953, and the first pageant — entitled Christmas Pageant of Peace — was held on the Ellipse December 17, 1954. A cut tree was used because Park Service officials felt that a living tree would interfere with various cultural and recreational events on the Ellipse at other times of the year. The tree chosen for the first Pageant of Peace was a 67-foot (20 m) tall balsam fir from northern Michigan , decorated with 2,100 red, blue, and gold lights and topped by

7700-541: The president's absence led organizers in January 1952 to plead for Truman's presence at the next ceremony. Truman agreed to stay at the White House for Christmas 1952 and personally lit the tree. Even though the Korean War was raging during Christmas in 1950, 1951, and 1952, crowds were still permitted on the White House grounds. The lone exception was in 1950, when crowds were kept outside the fences due to renovations going on at

7810-483: The public would be cleared from the area. In 1952, however, a group of Catholic Church sodalities asked that a nativity scene be included in the ceremony, repeating the request in 1953. There was also pressure to move the ceremony off the White House South Lawn. In 1953, due to security concerns, only 700 members of the public were allowed onto the White House grounds while another 3,500 watched from outside

7920-429: The sheep in their sidecars and shepherding them back safely to their enclosure before the arrival of the presidential party. President Eisenhower lit the tree in front of 7,500 people. Six Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from around the world, flown in with funds provided by UNICEF , joined the president on the dais. Movie actor Robert Montgomery , who served as Eisenhower's advisor on the president's television appearances,

8030-532: The south fence of the White House, each about 25 feet, 7.6 m off the north–south axis with the Jefferson Memorial . As with the trees in Lafayette Park, they were to be used in alternate years. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, there was concern that the tree would not be lit due to security concerns. But the ceremony and musical program went ahead as planned, with the east tree serving as

8140-451: The spacious exhibits that took up much of the Ellipse. These included a life-size nativity scene with live animals, an outdoor stage that accommodated singing groups and tableau vivant , and a "Children's Corner" with live reindeer, a puppet stage, and a place for children to donate toys to less fortunate children overseas. Religious ceremonies as well as entertainment both religious and secular occurred nightly through Epiphany . Preceding

8250-399: The stage, and altered the color and brightness of the tree's 3,000 multicolored lights. The tree lighting occurred three days earlier than usual because President Kennedy had been scheduled to leave for Bermuda to meet with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan . The Washington Post reported that embassies did not provide trees or symbols for the Pathway of Peace, instead participating in

8360-543: The states they were intended to represent. These trees were decorated, but had no Christmas lights due to the energy crisis. Only footlights illuminated the Pageant's trees, primarily for safety reasons. Upset by a court ruling that held that the Christian nativity scene could not be included in the Pageant of Peace, local resident Vaughn Barkdoll and a few friends formed the Christian Heritage Association and won

8470-548: The strings of lights to the federal government. Power was provided by the Potomac Electric Power Company via an open manhole on the plaza. The tree was now called the National Community Christmas Tree. The Community Center Department of the District of Columbia Public Schools coordinated the choirs for the event and the United States Army Band provided music. Coolidge threw a switch at 8 p.m. to light

8580-528: The strings of lights. No anti-war protests occurred during the tree lighting ceremony in 1970, however. Women Strike for Peace temporarily won a court order permitting them to set up an anti-Vietnam War display of 11 lighted styrofoam tombstones listing the number of American war dead near the pageant, but this ruling was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit two days later on December 18. (The anti-war display

8690-475: The suggestion that the trees be replaced with artificial trees, but this was actively opposed by the live Christmas tree industry and the idea was dropped. Television coverage expanded for the 1947 ceremony, with both NBC and the DuMont Television Network televising the event. Television coverage continued to expand in the following years. In 1948, the tree included many more white bulbs in addition to

8800-495: The traditional red and green ones so that the tree would look better on TV. It was also topped by a star-shaped tree-topper consisting of eight flashing bulbs. That year, for the first time since 1938, the "Singing Tree" returned. From 1948 to 1951, President Truman spent Christmas at his home in Independence, Missouri , and lit the National Community Christmas Tree by remote control. Declining public attendance after four years of

8910-744: The tree against high winds. The bronze plaque at the base of the tree was altered slightly to reflect the new date of the tree's transplanting (October 11, 1978). Unincorporated territories of the United States Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 826036479 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 08:39:38 GMT Hamilton Fish II Hamilton Fish II (April 17, 1849 – January 15, 1936)

9020-538: The tree ceremony might worsen the transportation overcrowding situation in the city, a decision was made to cancel the National Community Christmas Tree decoration altogether, but Eleanor Roosevelt requested that the ceremony proceed, and so it did. Once more, local children contributed the tree's ornaments, which were again permitted to be multicolored. Each ornament had a small white tag attached to it, commemorating an American soldier, sailor, or flier who had been wounded, killed, or gone missing in combat. President Roosevelt

9130-418: The tree had been severely damaged by the decoration process and the heat and weight of the lights. Amawalk Nursery again donated a living tree, this one a 35-foot (11 m) tall Norway spruce. It was planted on May 29 of that year. The year was special in other ways, too. It was the first time that Christmas tree decorations (not just lights) were placed on the tree. To prevent the tree from being damaged during

9240-488: The tree lighting ceremony, President Roosevelt drew attention to the statue of Andrew Jackson and asked the American people to be as courageous in the face of the depression as Jackson had been throughout his lifetime. The tree did not light when Roosevelt threw the switch, remaining unlit for about five seconds while Roosevelt worriedly looked about, but then the lights came on. In 1935, the 24-foot (7.3 m) high eastern tree

9350-476: The tree remained lit for security reasons. Although there were no protests at the tree lighting ceremony, anti-war protests were held at the Pageant of Peace on December 25 and December 30. Having used cut trees from around the country since 1954, the Christmas Pageant of Peace reintroduced a living tree in 1973. A spontaneous, grass-roots letter writing campaign by American citizens began pressing in 1965 for

9460-438: The tree was illuminated, a tradition which occurred for several years. In 1927, a bronze marker was placed at the base of the tree, declaring it the National Community Christmas Tree. The tree was decorated with improved lighting strings (which required only 500 multicolored bulbs) as well as with 2,000 light-scattering jewels. Colored floodlights at the base of the tree also helped provide color. President Coolidge briefly addressed

9570-524: The tree. It was the only year a switch was used; before and since, a button has been pushed. Although the president did not address the people, he and Mrs. Grace Coolidge stayed to sing Christmas carols with the large crowd of several thousand. Jason Noble Pierce, pastor of the First Congregational Church, wrote a new Christmas carol, "Christmas Bells," which was dedicated to Mrs. Coolidge (the Coolidges' son, Calvin Jr., had died on July 7 from blood poisoning ). The 70-voice First Congregational Church choir sang

9680-405: The tree. The button to be pushed by the president would not be reconnected to actual electricity again until 1980. Other changes occurred in the 1932 tree ceremony. It was the first year that someone other than the president lit the tree. Because President Hoover and his family were vacationing away from Washington, Vice President Charles Curtis lit the tree at 5 p.m. on December 24. It was also

9790-503: The war concluded in 1945. Nonetheless, President Roosevelt continued to give a national radio address on what would have been the date of the tree lighting ceremony during these three years. Ornaments for the 1942 tree were donated by local D.C. schoolchildren, limited to the colors red, white, and blue. With the president and his family spending Christmas of 1943 at their family home of Springwood in Hyde Park, New York , and with concern that

9900-425: The week after Christmas. To discourage future thefts, a temporary low octagonal fence was constructed around the 1936 tree. The method of lighting the tree also changed. The National Park Service history of the tree claims that in 1936 or 1937, the button used since 1925 was replaced by a switchbox. The Washington Post , however, indicates that the button was still used in 1936. The box was definitely in use by 1937. It

10010-578: The year's National Community Christmas Tree. On December 22, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill secretly arrived in the United States aboard the HMS ; Duke of York and flew the remaining 150 miles (240 km) to Washington, where he stayed with President Roosevelt in the White House for the Arcadia Conference . At 4 p.m. on December 24, the southeast and southwest gates of the South Lawn were opened and between 20,000 and 40,000 people entered

10120-401: Was a highly educated engineer who had been a technical journalist for General Electric from 1906 to 1907 and editor of Electrical World and Electrical Merchandising from 1915 to 1921. In 1921, Feiker joined the personal staff of United States Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover as a press aide. The Society for Electrical Development, an electrical industry trade group, was looking for

10230-477: Was a member of St. Anthony Hall . He also received a Master of Arts degree from Columbia. His paternal grandparents were Elizabeth ( née Stuyvesant) Fish and Nicholas Fish (1758–1833), a leading Federalist politician and notable figure of the American Revolutionary War , who named his father after their friend Alexander Hamilton . In 1903, he succeeded his brother Nicholas Fish II as

10340-423: Was also present. The ceremony was carried live nationally by all the major radio and television networks, as well as internationally on Voice of America. The initial Pageant of Peace was a huge success. More than 6,000 people performed or otherwise participated in the event. Up to 20,000 people a day visited the event. A grand total of between 300,000 and 500,000 people visited the Ellipse over its three weeks to see

10450-611: Was an American lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a member of the United States House of Representatives . Fish was born in Albany, New York , on April 17, 1849, while his father was serving as Governor of New York . Fish was the son of Julia Ursin Niemcewicz Kean (1816–1887) and Hamilton Fish (1808–1893). He graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1869 and

10560-687: Was because the Ellipse was more spacious. A 36-foot (11 m) high red cedar was dug up from along the Mount Vernon Memorial Parkway in Virginia and planted just a few days before Christmas at a site just south of the center of the Ellipse, though it would be replanted at its old site the following year. It was the second-highest national Christmas tree in the history of the event, and it required 700 hand-colored light bulbs, 100 hand-crafted glass stars and several mercury-vapor floodlights to decorate and illuminate. More than 8,000 people attended

10670-424: Was carried to Washington, D.C., on a train. The train derailed twice on its way to the city. The weekend before the tree lighting ceremony, the tree blew over in high winds and several cut branches had to be attached to the tree to replace damaged ones. A few days after the tree was lit, lightbulbs on the lower half of the tree began exploding after a fireproofing liquid applied to the sockets began causing shorts in

10780-480: Was constructed and donated by the Electric Institute of Washington, and engraved with the name of every person who had lit the tree since 1923. In 1938, the Electric Institute donated mercury-vapor floodlights to the federal government to help illuminate the tree. In 1939, the National Community Christmas Tree was moved back to the Ellipse. The reasons for this move are varied. The National Park Police said it

10890-497: Was defeated for reelection. For many years Fish was considered to be one of the top Republican bosses in the State of New York , controlling Putnam County . In 1880, Fish was married to Emily Maria Mann (1854–1899) at St. John's Church in Troy, New York . She was the daughter of Francis N. Mann (1802–1880) and Mary J. ( née Hooker) Mann (1822–1875). Before her death in 1899, they were

11000-423: Was dying. The appearance of the tree had deteriorated significantly, with many of the lower branches dead or damaged and many parts of the tree showing large areas of dead needles. Government horticulturalists said the tree had suffered root damage and had not thrived in the hot, damp climate of Washington, D.C. David Rhoads, a citizen from Silver Spring, Maryland , donated his 25-foot (7.6 m) tall blue spruce to

11110-545: Was flashed on the Washington Monument, to which men dressed as shepherds walked from the National Christmas Tree. The 1924 ceremony changed significantly. In April 1924, Coolidge gave a speech to the American Forestry Association in which he criticized cutting down trees for use as Christmas decorations. Feiker believed this was the end of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, but his wife suggested that

11220-401: Was gutted and had to be rebuilt. Two years later in 1931, the National Community Christmas Tree was again found to be so severely damaged that it was replaced a second time. The National Park Service history of the tree concludes that although there is no documentation that the tree was removed, photographic evidence clearly shows the 35-foot (11 m) tall Norway spruce had been replaced by

11330-448: Was immediately rectified. More than 50 embassies took part in the Pathway of Peace that second year. Attendance at the event, though now scaled back from three to two weeks, soared to 540,000. A record 51 embassies participated in the 1956 Pageant of Peace, which included a 25-foot (7.6 m) high Christmas tree jointly donated by 11 Arab nations. In 1957, the Pageant of Peace culminated in a night of folk dancing at Lisner Auditorium on

11440-485: Was in Hyde Park again in 1944, although Mrs. Roosevelt remained at the White House for the annual tree ceremony; and once more local schoolchildren contributed the ornaments. The lighting ceremony was first televised in 1946, although it reached few homes because the broadcast was limited and television was in its infancy. The two Oriental spruce trees were again found to be damaged by the decorations. Federal officials raised

11550-546: Was scheduled for December 18, President Kennedy had been assassinated on November 22 and President Johnson declared an official 30-day period of national mourning, thus delaying the lighting of the National Christmas Tree until December 22. After a one-hour candle-lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial , President Johnson traveled to the Ellipse and lit the tree. That year, the General Electric company began donating

11660-473: Was set up on the Washington Monument grounds instead.) The 1970 tree was lit by President Richard Nixon and Andre Proctor, a local District of Columbia child whom President Nixon picked out of the crowd at the last moment to assist him with the tree-lighting. The 1970 Pageant of Peace also included a tree dedicated to prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action . Vice President Spiro Agnew lit

11770-482: Was significantly affected. North of the tree, a bronze plaque was installed that read "National Christmas Tree, Transplanted October 11, 1973, Christmas Pageant of Peace Committee." Initially, the General Electric company, which had been donating the lighting for the tree for years, developed a "cool lighting" system to help protect the tree from the heat damage caused by standard Christmas tree lights. But this scheme

11880-430: Was subsequently abandoned due to the need to conserve energy because of the 1973 oil crisis . Instead, eight colored floodlights at the base of the tree were used to illuminate the National Christmas Tree's decorations and its 36-inch (91 cm) high gold snowflake tree-topper (although the snowflake itself was lit from within). The spotlights did not illuminate the tree directly for fear of causing heat damage; instead,

11990-529: Was the Republican leader in 1890 and Speaker in 1895 and 1896. He was selected in 1903 to serve as assistant treasurer of the United States in charge of the Wall Street sub-treasury in the administration of Theodore Roosevelt . Roosevelt's first choice, Robert Bacon , declined the position. He withdrew his second choice, William Plimley, after objections from several senators and New York bank presidents to

12100-549: Was used. During the tree lighting ceremony, President Roosevelt extemporaneously poked fun at the previous year's lighting glitch before exhorting all Americans to come together in courage and unity as did the famous American war heroes honored with statues in the park: Comte de Rochambeau , the Marquis de Lafayette , General Tadeusz Kos'ciuszko , Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben , and Andrew Jackson. New star-shaped Christmas tree lights were used in 1935, but some were stolen

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