Join us as Inside the Vault Goes Inside the White House’s Holiday Celebration

By Pete Lewis 

WASHINGTON, DC

On Wednesday, December 4, at 6 p.m. ET, the National Archives will host Inside the Vault: Holidays at the White House with White House Chefs, a virtual program celebrating festive dining and cuisines. Former White House staffers will discuss their unique experiences in the White House during the winter holidays, and what it was like to cook for Presidents, First Families, and honored guests.  

The event will be moderated by Alex Prud'homme, author of Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House. Program guests will include Capricia Marshall, former Chief of Protocol for the United States and former Social Secretary; William Yosses, White House Executive Pastry Chef, 2007–2014; and John Moeller, White House Chef, 1992–2005, and author of Dining at the White House: From the President's Table to Yours. View the event live on the National Archives YouTube Channel. 

Yosses said that though it is a unique job, cooking at the White House shares many similarities with other chef jobs.

“Actually it combines all aspects of the traditional chef,” Yosses said. “Cooking for a small family, serving large banquet functions, casual fast meals, tasting menus of the most refined ingredients, the ability to research and learn about every cuisine on Earth to be prepared for foreign dignitaries, breakfasts, buffets, holiday menus, very large events, kids menus, public speaking, dietary restrictions, and most definitely last-minute notice for an upcoming event.”

Yosses also added that he felt a great amount of pride in being a part of the holiday celebrations of the First Families.

“It is a very moving memory and with a deep-seated pride that I recall the many moments of serving guests during the holidays at the White House, all the more so because it is a team effort in every sense,” Yosses said. “Not only the culinary team, but everyone of the Residence Staff pulls together, encourages each other, and gives their utmost to make sure the First Family has first-rate service.” 

Visit the National Archives Catalog for records related to the White House, and check the Holidays at the White House page to see decorations from years past.

Inside the Vault is where popular culture and American history meet. This monthly National Archives series of online programs will bring you stories of the people, events, and ideas found through the National Archives’ immense holdings. Visit the National Archives online for more news, and view the National Archives Calendar for upcoming events.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.