History

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April brings showers, and historically, presidential bowling. While sources differ on the exact date, the first bowling alley within the White House opened in late April of 1947. President Harry S. Truman was the first United States president to bowl in the White House, in the two-lane alley built in the West Wing. Fellow Missourians funded the construction of the alley, which was originally intended as a birthday present for the president to be opened in May. However, when construction finished early, the bowling alley was opened in April.

Although President Truman was not on record as a regular bowler, his first throw knocked down seven out of ten pins. Since Truman was not regularly using the bowling alley, he did support a White House Bowling League that was formed in 1950. This bowling league included Secret Service agents, secretaries, household staff, groundskeepers, and switchboard operators. President Dwight D. Eisenhower later closed the two-lane alley in 1955, but another alley was opened next door to the White House in the Old Executive Office Building (present day Eisenhower Building) that President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife were known to use. In 1973, President Richard Nixon opened a one-lane bowling alley in the White House located beneath the North Portico entrance. Nixon’s alley has been renovated and still exists today but is not open for public use. Presidential bowling has evolved over the decades, but has remained a symbol of Americana, connecting the American people to their president with a beloved game.

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Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who attended and presented at the 250th Commemorative Conference! We learned about how our founding informs the present and future of our great country, and we heard from some upcoming historians. We would also like to extend a special thank you to all of our volunteers and our fantastic administrator, Mandy Hutchinson, who made this event possible! See you next time!