Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies

“The first day, I thought the Usher’s office was a twelve-by-twelve-foot madhouse. People ran in and out of the room all day, the phone rang incessantly, and the buzzer buzzed.”

West’s first moments inside the usher’s office seemed chaotic to him. Later, he adjusted to how busy the ushers were and understood that the chaos was organized. From the chaos of the ushers’ officers came the smooth operation of the White House, which highlights The Important Role of Behind-the-Scenes Workers.

“[W]e never saw Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt in the same room alone together. They had the most separate relationship I have ever seen between man and wife. And the most equal.”

During the Roosevelt administration, Eleanor pursued several of her own projects and invited her own people to the White House. While she and the president did not spend personal time together by this point, she conferred with him and reported back to him about public opinion. After his death, she requested time alone with his body.

“But now, after months of observation, I realized that her life was filled with planned, purposeful activity, her motion directed toward specific goals. She was propelled by dedication.”

West is impressed with Eleanor Roosevelt’s drive and many accomplishments. At first, he thought that she was in perpetual motion, changing plans and bouncing from one project to another. Later, he came to appreciate her commitment to progressive change. This illustrates the book’s theme of The Contribution of First Ladies to the Presidency.