ATLANTA — The White House began the demolition of the East Wing to make room for a $250 million ballroom that President Donald Trump wants to add.
The East Wing, which was built as an extension in 1902, is traditionally the home for the first lady’s office and her staff. But you may not have known that it wasn’t a formally-recognized office for the first lady until Rosalynn Carter.
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Yes, Eleanor Roosevelt was the first to use the East Wing as the base for her social work and activism.
But according to the White House Historical Association, there weren’t any formal staff allocations and resources to support the first lady at the time.
When former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter won the 1976 Presidential Election and the Carters moved into the White House, Carter decided she wanted to work in the East Ling.
The WHHA says Carter helped pass the White House Personnel Authorization Act of 1978. So, she picked out her office space in the East Wing and the rest was history.
During this month's #ArchivesHashtagParty we celebrate #ArchivesTrailblazers: brave and boundary-breaking women! Of course we start with our favorite First Lady! #DYK that Rosalynn Carter was the 1st First Lady to keep her own office in the East Wing? Image: NAID 174076 pic.twitter.com/QLL9wez9qy
— Jimmy Carter Presidential Library (@CarterLibrary) March 4, 2022
The White House says it expects the new ballroom will be completed and in use before Trump’s second term ends in 2029.
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