The Presidents & Me
Happy President’s Day 2011! To most people, it’s just a weekend known for furniture sales. Most people don’t even get the day off from work. I encourage you to take a moment to think about past Presidents and honor your American citizenship.
I have a few connections to the office of the Presidency.
- I’m directly related to Ulysses S. Grant. I am named after Lura Grant (my great-grandmother,) niece of the President. Notice the family resemblance? I do… specifically my nose. Every time I look at a $50 I see the family schnoz.
- Apparently, I’m also related, through my mother’s lineage to Martha Custis Washington, who had children with her first husband, but not her second (significantly more famous) husband, and first President George Washington. I should note that the family is still accruing proper documentation to prove this . If you’re into Americana, you might also note that any link to the Custis lineage also means that you are related to Robert E. Lee, President of the Confederacy.
- More recently, I worked for President Clinton in 1996-1997. During that time, I had the privilege of roaming the halls of the Old Executive Office Building, part of the White House complex and home to the Executive Offices of the Presidency. My role included writing policy letters as if I were the President. I’m still shocked that I got to do that! Here’s my photo with President Clinton and some photos from my White House experience.
- I also got to drive a press vehicle as a part of the Presidential Motorcade. Here are my photos from that occasion.
Anyway, those are my links to the Presidency. Happy President’s Day.