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White House Residence Staff. Photo courtesy of Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
It takes a village to run the world’s most famous house.
The White House is often dubbed “The People’s House,” yet we rarely stop to celebrate the everyday people who make the White House function: the various butlers, gardeners, chefs, and other non-partisan workers known collectively as the Residence Staff. In this final Speaker Series event of 2026, Dr. Matthew Goetz, senior historian at the White House Historical Association, will provide a brief history of the White House Residence Staff from 1789 to the present and share some of the lesser-known stories of workers who not only witnessed history but helped make it.
This Speaker Series event will be held on Saturday, November 14th at 11 a.m. The presentation and Q&A are expected to last 45 minutes. That will be followed by a walking tour where visitors will learn about some of the individual Residence Staff members buried at Historic Congressional Cemetery.
About our speaker: Dr. Matthew Goetz joined the White House Historical Association full-time in 2025, though he previously interned with the history team in 2019. He earned his doctorate in American history from The George Washington University (GW) in 2023, after which he taught history at GW, Georgetown University, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. Goetz has published scholarship in numerous outlets, including White House History Quarterly and Washington History Magazine, and has contributed chapters to the edited volumes What the Presidents Read (2025) and The Routledge History of Religion and Politics in the United States since 1775 (2024).
Tickets are only $10 and all proceeds go to benefitting our non-profit mission of historical preservation and education. Space is limited so be sure to reserve your spot today! Keynote remarks will take place inside the Chapel, and the walking tour will take place on the grounds. The tour is approximately 45 minutes in length. Please come prepared with comfortable clothing and shoes, as the tours often stray from the main paths.
The event is rain or shine. Smoking is prohibited and dogs are not allowed to attend the event unless they are a service animal.
