SMOKERS AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS
Use of tobacco products by
the Presidents and First Ladies included Dolley Madison who regularly
used snuff in public.
Women often emulated her and soon many were carrying small pill
boxes about town. She once convinced husband James [while serving
in the legislature] to vote against an excise tax on the tobacco
powder.
Even though Dolley was a trendsetter, there were certain things
Nineteenth Century women didn't do in public, and one of them
was to smoke tobacco products.
When Rachel Jackson enjoyed the pleasures of her pipe she did
so in closed quarters with husband Andrew.
After Zachary Taylor became president stories began circulating
concerning his pipe smoking wife Margaret, but nothing was further
from the truth.
|
CIGARETTES
A cigarette burning from the end of a holder became the trademark
for Franklin Roosevelt. Warren Harding, who utilized every tobacco
product, also found no problem lighting up whenever and wherever
the urge struck him.
Howard Taft kicked the cigarette habit after his election as
president. Dwight Eisenhower who rolled his own, sustained four
packs a day, but quit cold turkey before his presidency. Lyndon
Johnson used three packs a day until his heart attack forced
an end to the habit.
First Lady Grace Coolidge kept her habit a secret.
Pat Nixon stopped smoking in public during her husband's congressional
campaign of 1946. The ever-adventurous Eleanor Roosevelt began
lighting up at White House gatherings however; claiming women
had as much right to smoke in public as men. Mamie Eisenhower,
Jackie Kennedy, Betty Ford, and Nancy Reagan also smoked cigarettes.
Helen Taft smoked in her youth, but quit shortly after her marriage
as did Laura Bush.
|
PIPES
Presidential pipe smokers included Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge,
Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford who smoked an average eight bowls
a day from the Oval Office.
John Adams began smoking a pipe at age eight and graduated to
chewing tobacco shortly thereafter. Zachary Taylor brought a
unique ability to the White House in the form of spittoon marksmanship,
claiming accuracy up to twelve feet.
Grover Cleveland enjoyed an occasional chew and it was not uncommon
to view the tobacco-swollen cheek of Warren Harding. When President
McKinley fell short of shredded tobacco, he broke cigars in half
and munched them.
|
CIGARS
The highly publicized stogie habit of Ulysses Grant earned him
10,000 cigars from various voters upon winning the presidency.
He tried to sample at least one from each batch and gave the
rest as gifts.
Benjamin Harrison regularly received token cigars from the people
of his hometown in Indiana and often used them as handouts. William
McKinley insisted on smoking Havana's, but stocked the less expensive
White Owl brand for presentation to reporters and guests.
Teddy Roosevelt, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Jimmy Carter
and Bill Clinton also enjoyed an occasional cigar, as did John
Kennedy who insisted on Cuban tobacco.
|
THE BAN
In 1877, Rutherford Hayes was the first Chief Executive to ban
all forms of smoking in the White House. Curiously enough, he
insisted on sitting in the smoking car when traveling by train,
stating he enjoyed the stimulating conversation of smokers.
Harry Truman issued an executive order banning smoking at White
House social functions, and in 1993, Hillary Rodham Clinton officially
declared all areas of the White House smoke-free.
|
|
